New Rule
by Toria
Summary: Voldemort's back, but not as bad? Harry also discovers he has a family and well, Voldemort doesn't have a grudge?
1. Finding Out

_Disclaimer:_ Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling. I'm only borrowing, please don't sue, I have no money!

_**A/n: AU - Takes place at the end of Harry's first year. **_

Chapter 1 

"Potter! Detention!" Harry sighed. It was to be expected really, after all Snape did hate him. And he only hated him because his father was James Potter.

Yes, indeed, Severus Snape did hate Harry Potter because he was Harry POTTER. He knew better though, he knew who Harry really was and everything was about to change.

That evening came way to quickly for Harry's liking and for the second time that day he made his way down to the dungeons, this time to serve detention with Snape.

To his immense surprise Malfoy was also in the room and the two boys glared daggers at each other. "Stop that this instant!" Snape's voice commanded. "You will behave civilly to each other or you will face the consequences. And I can assure you that you will not like them."

Harry was the first to give in. "Yes Sir ... Sorry Malfoy." The strange thing was that he actually meant what he had said, he had meant for them to be just words but suddenly they had meaning.

Snape was now looking expectantly at Malfoy. "Sorry Potter," Malfoy spat out reluctantly.

"Draco, this is your last warning," Snape told him.

"Yes, Sir."

Harry was confused, wasn't he supposed to be here for detention? And why was Malfoy here? He was Snape's golden boy while Harry was his whipping boy, right?

"Care to share your thoughts Harry?" Snape asked gently, much to Harry's surprise.

"No Sir," he told his professor whilst keeping his gaze on the ground.

"Very well, maybe you will feel different later," Snape, told him almost kindly. "For now though, I have something important to tell the both of you. Take a seat."

Both boys sat immediately.

"You should know that Voldemort has once more regained strength," Severus told them bluntly. "And you also need to know that I am a follower."

Harry was staring at him as if he had gone mad and Draco had a slight smile on his face. However, it was Harry who found his voice first. "Why? Why are you telling us all this?" he asked.

"Because you need to know Harry," Severus sighed. "And because you're both my sons." Severus couldn't see anyway to break it to the two of them lightly.

"What?!" came Harry's startled yelp.

"You have got to be joking me!" Draco all but yelled. "That would mean that a mudblood-lover is my brother!"

"And what makes you think that I'd want to be related to you, Malfoy?" Harry shot back.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Severus made them both jump. The potions master leaned forward and pulled Draco to him. He turned the young man round and placed two hard swats on the top of his thighs. He then repeated his actions on Harry.

"I will not have the two of you talking about each other like that, understand?" Severus asked them.

"Yes Sir," they both whispered, neither daring to look at him

"Oh and Draco, yes you and Harry are brothers. Twins in fact, and identical ones at that," Severus told them.

"Identical?" Draco spluttered and looked over at Harry.

"Charms!" Harry exclaimed. "They're charms on us to make us look different, aren't there?" he asked his potions teacher, still not quite willing to accept that this man was his father.

"Well done, Harry. Yes there are charms placed over yourself and your brother to alter your appearances. Your mother was very good with Charms."

"Who was our mother?" Draco asked.

"Lily Potter." Now he definitely had the two lads attention. "Voldemort did not know until it was too late otherwise he would never had attacked Godrics Hollow. However, I have spoken to him recently and the three of us are welcome in his fold."

"Even me?!" Harry just had to gasp. He was the one who had brought about Voldemort's downfall after all.

"Yes, even you. Voldemort has different ideas now. He is now on about building a pure race of wizards. Now come along. You shall be sharing a room in my quarters for the time being and it is time that you went to bed," Severus ordered.

"But it's only half nine!" Draco protested.

"Are you going to argue with me on this matter, Draco?" Severus asked lightly.

"No Sir," came the timid reply.

Once at Severus' quarters they were ushered into 'their' room. It was large and decorated in silver and black. Two beds were situated next to each other with a small dresser in between them. Severus left them so that they could change into their nightclothes, both of which were black.

They changed silently and climbed into their beds. Harry took of his glasses and placed them on the dresser. He then turned his face away from Draco's bed.

After about ten minutes Severus came in and blew the candles out, bidding them each good night. In the darkness Harry heard Draco sniff. "Are you alright?" he asked shyly.

"Of course I'm not alright! Why should I be alright? Everything I knew has just been taken away from me!" came the harsh whisper back.

"Been taken away from you?! I've grown up believing that I was an orphan! My bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs! And then when I discover that I'm a wizard, I also discover that I'm the-boy-who-lived! Not easy! And now the Professor who hates me has just told me that he's my father and that my twin brother is also someone who hates me! And you think that this is difficult for you!" Harry exclaimed, not knowing what had taken over him.

"The cupboard under the stairs?!" came back Draco's shocked reply.

"Yeah, lets just say that my, our, aunt and uncle don't like magic. And we also have a cousin, Dudley, who hates me," Harry told him.

"Brilliant! Just what I need! relatives who hate magic!" Draco grumbled.

"Hey! I grew up with those relatives! If anyone has something to complain about, it's me!" Harry protested.

Draco dissolved into laughter and had to muffle the sound using his pillow. This is turn set Harry off. They both heard footsteps outside their room and held their breath. Luckily for them, Severus turned and left after standing and hearing no noise.

Draco waited another minute before whispering "That was close."

"You're telling me!"

"So... we're twins, amazing!"

"I wonder what we'll look like without the charms on," Harry thought aloud.

"Identical," Draco told him.

"No points for you there, pointing out the obvious," Harry told him.

Draco muffled his laughter again. They both knew that if they kept this up they were going to be in major trouble before the night was over.

"I can't believe that professor Snape is my, our, father!" Harry confided in his twin.

"Same here."

"I also can't believe Voldemort is back. For some reason I don't think that Father was telling us everything, but will it be wise to ask?"

"Probably not? What do you think a race of pure wizards means?" Draco asked.

"Who knows? We'd better get some sleep, we've got classes tomorrow," Harry said.

Both of them closed their eyes and when Severus checked on them in an hour's time neither one was aware of him, not even when he dropped a kiss on to two foreheads.

_Please, please please review!!!_


	2. Getting To Know One Another

_'Mes_ - lol, I can identify with that 'talking in their beds' scene because I know that its happened to me and my sister at least once grins Thanks for the review!

Chapter 2 

The next morning it took Harry a couple of minutes to figure out where he was. He then saw Draco still asleep in the bed next to him.

Stretching Harry then saw Severus in the doorway of the room. "Please wake your brother Harry and then come into the main room together," he was instructed.

Harry gently shook Draco's shoulder. "Draco! Hey Draco! Come on! Time to get up!" Finally sleepy eyes fought to stay open. On seeing Harry, Draco shot straight up and then remembered everything and calming down.

"Come on, we're wanted," Harry told him and they headed to the door, both still in nightclothes.

They walked out into what appeared to be a living area to find Severus sat on a couch. He motioned them over and sat one of them of either side of him. They had gone to sit together. Severus leaned back, putting his arms round the lad's shoulders.

"I don't suppose you two were talking after you went to bed last night, were you?" he asked casually.

Both boys gulped and shared a look. That was enough of an answer for their father.

"I take it that means yes? Thought so, I heard part of the conversation," he told them.

"You... you did?" Draco asked.

"Indeed."

"What part?" Draco went on to ask.

"About Lily's relatives, your Aunt, Uncle and Cousin."

Harry and Draco shared a look of relief. "You two weren't talking about me by any chance were you?"

"Not really," Harry told his father.

"Not really?" Severus questioned.

"It was nothing bad!" Draco reassured.

"And what would count as bad, Draco?"

"Father!" both Harry and Draco exclaimed together. They then saw Severus' face break into a grin.

"You set us up then!" Harry accused his father.

"Oh did I?" Severus asked with a straight face.

"Yes!" Draco told him.

"Go and get dressed," Severus told them lightly. "I've had the house-elves put out clothes for you."

"But what about lessons?" Harry asked.

"You have been excused from your lessons for today," Severus told the two of them. "We are going to spend some time getting to know each other better and then discuss the way things are going to run around here."

Walking back into their room Harry and Draco had found that their beds had been made and that clothes had been laid out for them. They consisted of black cut-offs, a white short-sleeved shirt, a green tie, a black sleeveless jacket and black socks and shoes. Once dressed they examined each other.

"What is Dad thinking?" Draco exclaimed, taking in what Harry looked like.

"I don't know, why don't you ask him?"

"No way!" Draco exclaimed, making his way over to the mirror. "Argh! I look terrible!"

"You look terrible! Look at me!" Harry exclaimed.

Taking in what his brother looked like Draco began to laugh, which in turn set Harry off. Draco then had a brainwave and loosened the tie around his neck and opened the top two shirt buttons. Harry followed suit and they made their way to the living area, only to fine it empty.

Wandering through the next door they found Severus sat at a table reading the Daily Prophet in what appeared to be the dining room. This time they took seats next to each other, a little way down the table from Severus.

Eating what was put on their plates quickly Harry and Draco had no idea of what to do next. They shared a look and then glanced at Severus.

Seeing his sons were done Severus stood up and left the room, gesturing for them both to follow him. Once again they were made to sit down one on either side of him.

"Erm... Father?" Harry asked nervously.

"Yes," Severus encouraged, giving Harry's shoulder's a little squeeze.

"What do we look like without the charms on?" Harry asked.

"Different."

"Father! That's no answer!" Draco complained.

"Oh isn't it?" Severus asked, knowing that he was winding the two of them up.

"No it isn't!" Harry's reply came straight back. "And besides, I know what you're doing."

"And what would that be Harry?" Severus asked.

"You're getting me and Draco to gang up on you so that we work together and put our differences behind us," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"You have been spending way too much time with that Hermione Granger!" Draco told him.

"Hermione's one of my best friends!" Harry informed him. "And speaking of Hermione, what am I supposed to tell her and Ron about where I've been today? They'll want to know, I expect that they're probably worried about me."

"Worried about you?" Severus asked.

"Well, yeah. I went for a potions detention and never came back. You don't exactly have a good reputation in the Gryffindor common room, Father," Harry told him.

"Hmm.... well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Severus told him. "For now though, the both of you will be staying down here in my quarters and if I as so much as catch you arguing, especially over Gryffindor and Slytherin, you will regret it, understand? Me and your mother where from different Houses so you should be able to get along perfectly," Severus told them both very seriously.

"Yes Sir," they whispered in unison.

"And when we're down here, it's Father, not sir, ok?"

"Ok."

Severus pulled both of his sons into a tight hug and held them there for a moment. "Why don't the two of you go for a walk?" he suggested. "Get to know each other better, and no arguing!"

The two left his quarters and headed outside. It was a lovely day and they were both glad that the summer term was nearly over. "I'll be glad when school's finally out for the summer," Harry sighed as the headed towards the lake without even needing to ask each other where they were going.

"Yeah, it'll be good to have teachers off our backs for a while," Draco agreed.

"Mind you, we've now got one of the hardest professor's as our Father, we might not have that much of a holiday after all," Harry pointed out.

"Don't say things like that!" Draco groaned.

"Hey, I'm not complaining, I don't have to go back to the Dursley's. I hated it there and they hate me," Harry told his twin.

"Hey, just forget about that now, you've got me and Father now to help you," Draco put his arm round Harry's shoulders and they sat down on the far shore of the lake. They had walked pretty quickly without realising it.

"You know, before Ron and Hermione, I never had anyone to confide in, no who cared about me that I knew of," Harry told Draco. "And now I've got an identical twin and twins are supposed to be very close, just look at Fred and George."

"I know, don't worry we'll be close," Draco comforted.

"So, friends?" Harry asked.

"Twins," Draco told him with a smile.

And when Severus came looking for them some time later he found them sat with their arms around each other on the shore laughing about something in very good moods.

Severus himself was also in a very good mood, having just seen his Master whilst he had sent Harry and Draco for a walk.

_Please please please review! Please!_


	3. Studying Among Other Things

_'Mes_ - glad you like it, I know, Sev's a meanie. Don't worry; they'll have the charms off soon. Thanks for the review!

_Palanmenel_ - all shall be revealed soon I hope soon anyway, my parents are threatening to ban me from the Internet because I should be revising not writing stories :-( I don't think so, for some reason!

Chapter 3 

"Father!" Draco exclaimed with surprise as Severus suddenly appeared near them. Neither of them had heard him approach.

"Come on, back inside now," Severus instructed them.

Once back inside they ate a quick lunch and then Draco and Harry done any homework they had to do whilst sat at the table under Severus' watchful eyes. Severus had had house-elves move all of his son's stuff down from their dormitories into their room in his quarters.

After finishing their homework Harry and Draco dropped their books in their room and went back out to the dining area to find Severus studying two pieces of paper. Draco looked confused but Harry gulped. He knew what was on those sheets of paper. Draco shot him a half confused, half worried look.

"I'll bet you anything that those are our end of year exam results," Harry whispered.

"Oh no," Draco groaned quietly. "Not good!"

"Not good at all," Harry agreed.

"Well," Severus said, startling them both. They both looked at him nervously. "Well," the repetition done nothing to help the twins' nerves. "Sit down." The twins sat.

Harry fixed his eyes on the table and Draco fixed his on the wall opposite. Neither would look at their father. "All in all not a bad set of results from either of you," Severus told them eliciting sighs of relief from both boys "But they could be better."

"Yes Father," they said together.

"Therefore you will both spend some time over the summer holidays studying. Both of your History of Magic results where poor. Draco, your Defence Against the Dark Arts could do with some work, as could your Herbology, Harry."

"Yes Father."

"Now run along outside before Dinner," Severus instructed them both. Once they where gone he flooed to The Three Broomsticks and then apparated to Lord Voldemort's side.

"Ah, Severus, how lovely to see you again. And pray do tell how the twins are." Voldemort instructed him.

"Harry and Draco are fine my Lord," Severus told him whilst quickly dropping to one knee in front of Voldemort and then standing.

"Good, come and walk with me and I will now be using my name, not Lord Voldemort. Please address me as such."

"Yes Tom."

"I am glad for your loyalty Severus. Not many will believe that I have changed but with your help... with YOUR help the whole nation of wizards can become stronger than ever. It's going to be quite simple really."

"As you say." Severus shifted from foot to foot.

"Ah, yes, you must get back to the twins. I take it the know that I am back?"

"Of course."

"Very well, I shall see you later tonight Severus. I would like to see the twins, though I will probably call on you quite late, so they will most likely be in bed."

"Of course Tom, as you wish."

Severus quickly apparated back to Hogsmeade and then walked back up to Hogwarts; he didn't much feel like using Floo.

Harry and Draco were still outside when he got back and Severus decided to go down to his classroom to check that it hadn't been destroyed. Flitwick had covered most of his lessons today and Binns the others so who knew what state the dungeon would be in.

He spent about half an hour checking that everything was ok before heading back up to his quarters. The sight that met his eyes when he walked into the dining room pleased him very much indeed. Draco and Harry had obviously took what he had said that morning to heart and where sat at the table studying. A quick glance over both their shoulders showed that it was History of Magic, the subject that neither of them had done too well in.

"Need any help?" Severus asked quietly whilst taking a seat at the table. Both Harry and Draco jumped; both had been so absorbed in their work that they had not heard him enter the room.

"No thank you, Father," Harry answered looking up briefly. He had decided to write out all of his notes neatly whilst adding some things in. He had also started to colour code them. He knew that the reason he had done poor in the exam was because he didn't pay attention in class but it was hard to pay attention with Binns droning on. All you wanted to do was fall asleep.

Severus let them both study for another half an hour before sending them to put that books and notes away. When they went back out into the main living room they saw Severus sitting on the couch reading a Potions book. Both shared a long look, they had just been discussing whether or not their Father was going to feed them at all that night. They had joked on about how it was probably a punishment for their bad marks in History of Magic and how that they were so hungry they would never do poor in another subject ever again.

Crossing the room they sat down one on either side of him and curled up close. Harry managed to duck under Severus' arm and Draco followed suit. Severus smiled and began to read from the book aloud even though neither Draco nor Harry shared his love for Potions.

By half eight both boys were thoroughly bored and very hungry. "Go get changed into your night clothes," Severus instructed. He was obeyed instantly, neither boy was in the mood to be rebellious, it might mean that they wouldn't get fed tomorrow!

Getting changed into their black nightclothes they both went out into the living room to say goodnight to their Father. It was very early but the day now seemed to have been impossibly long to Harry and all he wanted to do was sink back onto his pillows and have a conversation with Draco.

After giving them both a hug and a quick kiss on the forehead Severus sent them both to bed even though it was only nine o'clock.

Harry sank back on his pillows and sighed. "This doesn't seem as good as it did this morning," he commented, knowing his twin would catch what he was going on about.

"I know, but maybe that's because were hungry," Draco suggested.

"Maybe, it must really have been a punishment, you know, send the naughty child to bed without supper," Harry said.

"I know, and I can't say that I like it," Draco replied.

"You know, if anyone told me two weeks ago that I'd be sharing a room with Draco Malfoy and that we'd be getting along really well I'd have told them to go see a mental health doctor and then would have thrown myself off the top of the Astronomy Tower at the very thought," Harry told his twin.

Draco burst into laughter and didn't manage to smother the sound in time as Severus walked in and both of them looked at him guiltily.

Severus just chuckled to himself and then, leaning on the doorframe, he opened his arms to both of the lads who jumped out of bed and ran to him. Wrapping an arm round both sets of shoulders Severus led them to the dining room where a platter of sandwiches sat. "Did you really think I'd send you to bed without anything to eat?" he asked them.

"We didn't know, Father," Draco whispered.

"Well, the answer to that is a definite no. You're both too skinny as it is, especially you Harry," Severus told them and left them to eat. He returned in a few minutes and had a sandwich himself. Neither boy actually ate enough for his liking but he knew it would be useless to try and force them to eat.

Once Severus came back the three sat in the dining room talking until half nine when Severus said "Bed time," and this time he meant it.

"Is half nine our definite bed time now?" Draco asked. "Because you sent us to bed at half nine last night as well."

"Yes it is."

Both boys got back into bed and discovered a glass of milk sat on the bedside table for them both.

Once the candle was out and both twins tucked up in bed Severus went and sat down in his favourite armchair and got lost in thought. Lost in thought of times he had shared with the twins when Lily was alive before her false marriage to James Potter, he still hated the man but he had been one of Lily's closest friends. Of times before he and Lily had separated quickly so they would be safer, of times before Lily had took Harry and he had took Draco, only to have to put his son up for adoption. He had not been thrilled when Draco had become a Malfoy but that couldn't be helped now.

Severus jumped slightly when the fire turned green and dropped to one knee and stood up again quickly when Tom Riddle had got out of the fireplace.

"I take it the twins are in bed?" Tom asked.

"Yes and they should be asleep by now, I was just going to check on them," Severus told him.

Harry and Draco, however, were not asleep. They quickly shut their eyes and lay still when Severus entered the room. They heard the two sets of footfalls but did not open their eyes, the fear of getting into trouble greater than curiosity.

As soon as he was sure that no one was in the room apart for himself and his twin Draco opened his eyes. "Who do you think was with Father?" he asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Harry told him. "Maybe we should get some sleep, who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

_Please, please, please review! You know you want to!_


	4. Do You Love Us?

'_Mes_ - thanks for the review! I know, Sev's mean – Harry and Draco, well, you'll find out what they think of him soon.

_Lady Macbeth_ - Harry's scar didn't hurt because Tom wasn't planning anything bad and Tom can kind of control the connection

_bluebird161221_ - lol, thanks, more coming! No one's told me that it's going to fast, but I couldn't really care, it's my story! lol, this soon enough for you?

_palanmenel_ - Thanks, glad you like it, more coming up!

_parselmouth_ - What Harry and Draco really look like, well Sev's being a bit mean on that front so you'll have to wait, just like the lads do.

Chapter 4 

Groaning as he woke up, Draco looked across to the bed that belonged to his twin brother. He was still curious as to who that other person with their father had been last night.

He lay back down and started thinking about how much his life had changed in a very short period of time. He wasn't a Malfoy! He was a Snape, he had a twin brother and a father who cared, well, a father who seemed to care but you never knew ...

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On looking over at his twin's bed again he saw that Harry was awake and watching him. "Care to share your thoughts? You're looking pretty serious about something," Harry asked.

"I'm just thinking about Dad, I mean, is he all that he's cut out to be? I know he seems to care but ... "

"He seems to care," Harry answered. "But that thing with the food last night was really not funny! I mean, how could he let us think that we wouldn't get fed just because we'd done something wrong? We'd studied voluntarily that afternoon as well!"

"I know, but is talking to him an option?" Draco asked.

"Is talking to who, an option?" Severus asked from the doorway. He entered in time to hear Draco ask the question.

Both boys jumped and looked down. "No one, Father," Draco told him.

Severus crossed the room quickly so that he stood between both of his son's beds. "One of the things I don't tolerate is lying, Draco," he told the boy whilst lifting his chin with his hand. "Would you like to try and answer that question again?" Draco gulped, he hated the feeling of being trapped by someone's eyes yet he couldn't look away, his father wouldn't let him.

"You, Father," Harry spoke up from behind Severus to save his twin from answering. Harry got out of his bed and went to sit on the edge of Draco's bed.

"Me?" Severus asked whilst leaving loose of Draco's chin.

"Yes Father," Draco confirmed.

"What do you want to talk about then?" Severus asked.

"It's nothing, Father," Draco told him whilst standing and leaving the room. Both Harry and Severus watched him go.

"Harry, please tell me what all this is about," Severus requested.

Harry sighed. "I don't know if that would be wise ... "

"Then I think you'd better tell me."

"Draco was ...we were ...well, we were just wondering ...wondering whether or not ...whether or not you ...you ...you ..." Harry broke off and looked at the ground, desperately wishing he were somewhere else. He wasn't surprised when he felt a hand under his chin, forcing him to look up. He still couldn't talk, however. He was feeling too choked up.

Severus left loose of his chin and wrapped his arms around his son, finding that Harry clung to him slightly. Severus picked up Harry and sat down on Harry's bed, leaning against the headboard with his legs stretched out in front of him. Harry was half sprawled on top of him but was now slightly calmer and he relaxed against his Father.

"Want to tell me now?" Severus asked gently, not really wanting to push Harry.

"We were just questioning whether or not you really loved us, Father," Harry whispered so quietly that Severus could hardly hear him.

"Oh, Harry," Severus murmured whilst holding Harry even more tightly too him. "Whatever made you and your brother question that?" he asked aloud, not really expecting and answer though.

"The food thing last night, for one," Draco answered from the doorway.

"And Voldemort for another," Harry added. Draco nodded in agreement.

Severus sighed and opened one arm to Draco who ran to his twin's bed and jumped onto their father and also clung to him. "The thing with Voldemort is that you've got to accept that he's changed. And not many people seem to be able to do that. Dumbledore has just about accepted the fact but is hesitant to trust him. I, however, have seen evidence that Tom now really does care, through his actions."

"Tom?" Harry questioned.

"Tom Riddle. That is what Lord Voldemort was born as and he is taking that name again, no more Lord this and Lord that, ok?" Severus answered.

"Umm...Father?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" Severus answered.

"Do we have to go to classes today? There's only two more days of school left after all."

"Do you want to go to classes today?" Severus asked the two of them.

"Not really," Harry answered, "Because Hermione and Ron will be asking where I've been and I won't know what to tell them, they'll know if I'm lying."

"Very well, neither of you have to go to classes today, but I, however do have to teach so you will sit at the back of the dungeon and get on with some work quietly, understand?"

"Yes Father," Harry and Draco answered together whilst tightening their grip on their father.

"Come on then, breakfast," Severus ordered whilst managing to get both lads arms from around his neck.

The three went into the dining room and the meal passed with Harry and Draco debating in a whisper whether or not to ask their father who was with him last night, but that would mean admitting to him that they were still awake when he checked on them last night. And who knew what his reaction might be?

Once they had finished eating Harry and Draco went back into their room to discover that the house-elves had once again made their beds and had put out clothes for them, although it wasn't their Hogwarts uniforms.

Sighing Harry pulled on the black denim cut-offs, the long-sleeved white shirt, the green tie and the black jumper with no sleeves. The jumper meant that they had to do the tie up properly. He then put on the black socks and shoes and ran a brush through his unruly black hair and left it at that.

He grabbed his History of Magic notes and shoved them into his book bag along with a book on Magical Creatures. Hermione was really rubbing off on him, he knew he couldn't take Care of Magical Creatures until his third year but it really interested him. Dejectedly he also put his Herbology notes into his bag, his father had said that he needed to improve in that subject as well. Maybe Draco could help him, if he got ok grades... their father hadn't said anything about Draco needing to improve in Herbology but instead in Defence Against The Dark Arts. Maybe they could help each other.

Making there way to the potions classroom quickly, Harry and Draco saw that Severus had arranged a table for them at the back of the classroom, out of the way. The twins knew that no one would disturb them, their Father wouldn't allow anyone to.

Harry discovered all to soon that Fred and George Weasley were in his fathers first class of the day and both sent him confused looks. "Don't ask," he mouthed to them, before his father started the lesson. They both gave him a slight nod but he saw them share a worried look. Harry was glad that he was sat in the shadows so that Fred and George couldn't see that he wasn't in his Gryffindor robes.

Draco gently placed his hand on Harry's arm and gave him a reassuring smile, which Harry returned. Then they both ducked their heads and got absorbed in their work. They barely realised when the double lesson was over and it was break, the time had gone so quickly. Once the last student had left both Harry and Draco put down their quills and went into their father's office.

Severus looked up and smiled at his two sons. "I have a free lesson next, how about a walk?" he asked.

"Yeah!" came the twin's enthusiastic reply back. Anything to get out of work.

"Also, Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to us but that can wait until after lessons have finished," Severus told them. "For now though, we'll wait until break is over before we go for a walk."

"Ok, Father," Harry and Draco answered. Both wondering how he would react if they called him dad, as they did when referring to him in private.

_Please, please, review. It's that button just down there! Please!_


	5. Plans

Mdemanatee - Thanks! This is on your favourite stories list? Wow! *Toria almost faints from shock* Thanks a lot!  
  
Eris wannabe - Yeah, I know, it's weird!  
  
Sra - Thanks!  
  
Mich - Am doing!  
  
Michelle - I am!  
  
Sarah - glad you do!  
  
Dragon-Phoenix - More coming up!  
  
Xikum - I know it's different, that was the idea!  
  
Kira - That's kind of were the story's going, but not quite!  
  
Kris2 - Reactions from everyone? You'll have to wait and see!  
  
Palanmenel - You'll have to wait and see what Dumbledore wants!  
  
'Mes - Yeah, Sev handled it well, can't have him completely mean, can I?  
  
Lady Macbeth - It's strange, but then again some people say that I am! And thanks! Another Favourite Stories list? *Toria bounces around the room in joy*  
  
Well, on with the story!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Severus handed both lads a black cloak, despite the fact that it was the end of June. Harry and Draco shared a look and sighed. "Well, you can't have everything, I suppose." Draco whispered to Harry.  
  
"Yeah, I wonder what Dumbledore wants?" Harry whispered back, making sure that his father couldn't hear.  
  
"It could be anything," Draco pondered.  
  
"I'll say, wonder if it's about living arrangements, after all, we probably need to tell the Dursley's something, even though they'll be glad to get me out of their hair. They're always complaining how much it costs them to keep me."  
  
"Hey, come on now, I've told you before, forget the stupid Dursley's! You've got me and Dad now," Draco told his twin comfortingly.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but what am I going to tell Ron and Hermione? And Fred and George saw me today!" Harry gave his twin a small smile but it was easy to see that he was worried.  
  
"Dad will think of something, I'm sure and he wouldn't want us to worry, would he?" Draco questioned out loud.  
  
"Probably not, after all he seems to care a lot about us," Harry answered.  
  
Severus was walking along behind the twins and he knew that they were whispering by the way that they had their heads ducked together but he couldn't, however, hear what they were talking about.  
  
They all reached the front entrance and Harry and Draco instantly set course for the lake without even thinking. Severus just followed. Once at the far side of the lake Harry and Draco sat down on the shore and kept on whispering, their heads still bent together.  
  
Severus sat down next to Draco and leaned in, trying to hear what his sons were talking about. Draco smirked at Harry and lent back against his Father. Draco tilted his head back and smirked at his Father. Severus wrapped his arms around Draco who fitted into the embrace snugly. Harry gave a small laugh and smiled at his Father. "Can I join the hug?" he asked and Severus opened an arm for Harry to fit in next to his twin.  
  
"Father?" Draco asked from where he was laying half on top of his Father.  
  
"Yes Draco?" Severus answered looking down at both of his son's.  
  
"Do you know what Professor Dumbledore wants?"  
  
"I can only guess Draco," Severus sighed, absentmindly stroking both of his sons hair. "It could be a number of things, about you two being my sons, about Tom or anything else under the sun!"  
  
Both twins giggled slightly and smiled up at their Father who returned the smile. Love radiated in the small clearing and all three felt at utter peace, Harry for the first time in his life, he didn't want the moment to end but he knew it would. He buried his head in his Father's robes and took a deep breath. Severus tightened his arm around Harry, knowing that something was up with his son.  
  
"You ok there, Harry?" Severus asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah," Harry whispered back.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" Severus offered.  
  
"Not really," Harry admitted.  
  
"It's about the Dursley's again, isn't it?" Draco asked his twin.  
  
"Kind of," Harry answered truthfully, remembering that his father did not tolerate lying under any circumstances.  
  
"What in all hell did they do to you?" Draco burst out, he really wanted to help his twin.  
  
"Language, Draco," Severus reprimanded.  
  
"Sorry Father, Harry?" Draco then asked.  
  
"It's just, I've never been loved before. Before I came here I never had a real bedroom, I slept in the cupboard under the stairs and this year I got my first real Christmas presents. I'm finally loved," Harry tightened his grip on his father.  
  
Severus hugged his son back and dropped a kiss on his forehead and Draco also threw his arms around his twin. "Well you never have to go back there, right Father?" Draco asked Severus.  
  
"Never again, not if I have anything to do with it!" Severus told them both.  
  
"Good," Harry sighed and leaned against his father, just enjoying the feeling of being loved. He hadn't felt better in his life, not that he could remember anyway.  
  
Draco sighed, "maybe we should get back up to the school, it'll be lunch soon."  
  
Harry also sighed, "If we have to."  
  
"That we do," Severus pushed himself to his feet and dragged both of his sons up with him.  
  
On the way back to the castle Severus wrapped an arm around both of the sets of shoulders. "We'll eat lunch down in our quarters and then you can sit at the back of the classroom again and study. And speaking of studying you two seemed quite absorbed this morning, what were you studying?"  
  
"Defence Against the Dark Arts," Draco told him with a groan, which caused Severus to laugh.  
  
"And you Harry?"  
  
"History of Magic. It's actually quite interesting once you get into it."  
  
"You have got to be kidding me!" Draco yelped.  
  
"Who would of thought," Harry shot back almost doubled over in laughter.  
  
"Are you feeling ok? You sure you don't have a temperature or something?" Draco checked.  
  
"Hey! It's not that bad, is it?" Harry asked whilst making a leap toward Draco, who ran off across the lawn in front of the school, with Harry in close pursuit.  
  
Severus watched them both, the sound of their laughter like music to his ears and the memory of a lullaby that Lily had used to sing to them. He then got the eerie feeling that someone was watching him. It turned out to be Dumbledore, who offered Severus a small smile. "So young and carefree," he commented.  
  
"Young, I'll agree with," Severus told him, "but carefree I'm not so sure about."  
  
"Maybe," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "Are you sure that you want to put them through this?"  
  
"They are my sons and I'll do what I like, as long as their health does not stand in the way. They can handle this, I know they can and they will. My mind is made up, I will not have this conversation again, headmaster," Severus told him.  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well, I will see both you and your sons tonight after the evening meal, please do not be late."  
  
"Never," Severus murmured as the headmaster headed back to the school. He then called to Draco and Harry and they walked back into the school, Harry and Draco talking quietly about something, with their arms around each other.  
  
Yes, Severus knew that both his sons could handle this.  
  
Please, please, please review! Sorry this took so long, the G.C.S.E's have started and I'm busy revising, hopefully they'll go well, I've been panicking slightly and almost made myself ill, so yeah, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up! Anyway, please review. 


	6. Plans Explained

Palanmenel - thanks, sorry this took so long, real life's been hectic!  
  
'Mes - you'll see what Dumbledore wants soon! Thanks for the review!  
  
Chelle - Different is good! Predictable is boring! Thanks for the review, and as to what the twins look like, well you'll have to wait for a while for that!  
  
Poisonus plants - Thanks! More coming up!  
  
Saimhe - Thanks, and you'll find out what Severus is up to!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
After tea that night Harry and Draco found themselves heading to Dumbledore's office with their father. Neither had any idea as to what was going on.  
  
Upon reaching the office, Severus said the password and the three entered. Dumbledore greeted them and then the four of them sat down; Dumbledore behind his desk, Severus in front of it and Draco and Harry a little to one side.  
  
"Now then," Dumbledore started. "Severus, you know why you're here and I beg you once again to reconsider. Do not put the boys through this, I beg of you."  
  
"Put us through what?" Draco asked for both himself and Harry.  
  
"Quiet, Draco," Severus scolded him. "You were saying, Headmaster?"  
  
"Severus, you can not, I repeat, can not, put Harry and Draco through this."  
  
"I assure you, they can handle it."  
  
"Can handle what?" Draco once again spoke up.  
  
"Draco!" Severus' voice held a clear note of warning and Harry put a hand on his brothers arm to calm him down. Severus and Dumbledore were still glaring at one another, Draco was confused and Harry was confused and uncomfortable with the situation. What was his father going to put him and his twin through?  
  
Turning his attention back to what was happening in the room he found his father and Professor Dumbledore still arguing.  
  
"Do Draco and Harry even know what you plan on putting them through?" Severus was asked.  
  
"No, not yet," the Potions Master answered calmly.  
  
"Then I suggest you tell them!" Dumbledore rarely lost his temper but he was coming close to this night.  
  
Severus looked across to his sons. "Harry, Draco," he began, "I have to go away for the first four or so days of the summer holiday," he told them, "and you can not come with me. For this reason I have arranged for you to stay with Tom."  
  
Draco's mouth dropped open and Harry's eyes went wide. "As in Voldemort?" Draco just had to ask.  
  
"Yes," Severus told them.  
  
"You have got to be joking!" Harry choked out, eyes still wide behind his glasses.  
  
"No," Severus was still calm, but Harry and Draco shared panicked looks.  
  
"Father, you can't!" Draco protested. "You can't do this to us!"  
  
"You see Severus," Dumbledore injected back into the conversation. "The lads clearly do not like this idea and I have already offered to look after them myself whilst you are away. I am sure that they will find plenty to do, both here and at my house."  
  
Both Harry and Draco nodded eagerly. "Please Father! Can we stay with Professor Dumbledore, please?"  
  
Severus gave them both a stern look and they backed down. "We're not going to get into an argument over this are we?" Severus asked them lightly, although there was a hint of steel in his tone.  
  
"No Father," Harry and Draco answered together, subdued.  
  
"Good," Severus told them, and offered them a rare smile. At that moment Harry just wanted to bury his head in his father's chest and cling to him, knowing that Draco wouldn't be far behind.  
  
Severus stood and smoothed two sets of hair. "Well, that's settled then, you will stay with Tom for the first four days of the holidays and we'll hear no more about it."  
  
"Yes Father," came the dutiful chorus back. Dumbledore looked like he was ready to explode and Severus ushered both Harry and Draco out of the office in front of him.  
  
"Father?" Draco asked once they were near the entrance hall. "May we go for a quick walk outside?"  
  
"Please, Father," Harry added. "I could use some fresh air after that."  
  
Severus agreed and escorted the twins outside. Dusk had yet to fall and the last of the daylight was filtering through the gaps in the trees in the forbidden forest. Not many students were out as it was close to curfew and they met no one as they walked quickly down to the lake.  
  
Dusk had fallen by the time they got back to their quarters and Harry and Draco went and retrieved green jumpers to put on, for it was chilly in the dungeons, although Draco was slightly used to it, being in Slytherin House.  
  
Re-emerging from their room, Draco went into the dining room to find their father and Harry curled up in a chair, reading a Charms book. He had decided that the next time he was at Diagon Alley he was going to buy some extra books, which he didn't need for his lessons, with his own money, to read in his spare time.  
  
A little while later Draco re-entered the room and curled up near Harry with his own book, one on Defence Against the Dark Arts, a subject that his father said he needed to improve him. Not long after that Severus entered the room and took a vacant chair and was looking through an old picture album, which he was sure Harry and Draco would love to get their hands on, but for now, he let them read.  
  
It was approaching nine o'clock when Harry looked up from his charms book for the first time, he was very interested in the passage he had just read on 'Cheering Charms' when he noticed that his dad was looking through something. Getting up quietly, so as not to disturb either his father or Draco, he crossed to where his father was sitting and perched on the edge of the chair.  
  
Severus looked up from the page he was on, which contained a very nice and rather cute, even in Severus' opinion, picture of Harry and Draco together when they were about five months old, he pulled Harry down onto his lap, much to his son's surprise. Harry settled his head on his father's shoulder and glanced across at Draco, who was still deeply submerged in his Defence Against the Dark Arts book, which was the standard book, which they used in class with Quirrell.  
  
It was only five minutes however, until Draco did look up and found his Father and brother curled up together on a chair. He walked over and looked down at what they were studying. He smiled when he realised it was a photo album, but he couldn't figure out which lad was him, he and Harry really were identical. However, in this picture they both had hats on and he couldn't see the eyes clearly, so he didn't know what they looked like without the charms on. He sighed in frustration, which caused both Harry and Severus to look at him, whilst Severus pulled him onto his lap as well.  
  
"What do we look like without the charms on?" He asked and Severus just laughed.  
  
"You'll find out soon," he told them both mysteriously and flipped to the pictures of him and Lily when they still attended Hogwarts.  
  
When half nine came he sent them both to bed. Leaning back on his pillows Harry turned to look at his twin. "What is dad thinking? Sending us to stay with Voldemort? Uh, I mean Tom," Harry asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, dad must really trust him," Draco answered, slipping under the covers.  
  
"I don't like this idea, I don't like it at all," Harry told Draco.  
  
"Neither do I, but it's not like we can change anything," Draco said softly.  
  
A little while later Harry and Draco were just dozing off when Severus entered the room and placed a kiss on both foreheads. "Everything will be alright, I promise," he said to the silent room. He left and shut the door.  
  
In the darkness two sets of eyes opened and across the room, gazes locked.  
  
Please, please, please review! Oh yeah, and what's everyone's opinion on the Order of the Phoenix? 


	7. Talking To Dumbledore

Emily - Erm yeah, I know it happened fast, it was supposed to! And will be questioned later. Also there will be more about Tom in later chapters, and Draco will be explained as well. Also the immediate use of first names will also be explained. Thanks for taking time to review.  
  
Echo - Thanks, more coming!  
  
HPIceAngel - Thanks, glad you like that story, and as for Tom, he will be explained, even though I know that it is pretty unbelievable!  
  
Flamelle - This is on your favourite stories list? Wow! Thanks for the review, glad you like the idea!  
  
'Mes - Thank you! Yeah, the family moments are still good, but Sev's sending them to stay with Tom, so yeah. And I agree, some parts of OotP are over that top, and the death was just well, weird really! And he was my favourite character as well, well he still is!  
  
Saimhe - I'm not trying to drive anyone insane! Honestly! *attempts to look innocent* And yes, I will be explaining about Tom later on, don't worry! Thanks for the review.  
  
Xikum - Draco's fear will be explained, it will all become clear and in this fic Tom has only tried to kill Harry once because it's a first year fic.  
  
Jes - Thanks, I'm updating, even though it's took a while.  
  
Snape coolgirl - Draco and Harry won't be look-a-likes for a while so yeah. *ducks and hides because most people keep asking when they will be* And I know that Voldemort becoming good will probably never happen, but the idea of it makes a pretty good story! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Charley - Thanks for reviewing! And Sev obviously thinks that Tom can be trusted! And yeah, I'm still upset that he died!  
  
Lady Macbeth - Yeah, I know I kind of left you hanging there, and I didn't intend to leave you hanging for this long, sorry about that! Anyway, thanks for the review, and with Sev being stern with them, that will be explained later.  
  
iNzaNiTi - yeah, the idea is a little insane, and Harry and Draco are eleven in this fic because it takes place in first year, and Draco and Harry won't be identical for a while.  
  
Kitai-Shinsei - Okay, okay, okay! I'm writing more! Sorry this took so long!  
  
Sgtharrison46 - Thanks, glad you like the story, and I'm updating now!  
  
Selina - yeah, I think Harry and Draco are hoping that Tom's changed as well! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Rarity88 - Yeah, it's going to be a weird couple of days for Harry and Draco, and that's if everything goes smoothly, and there's no promise of that!  
  
Palanmenel - Ron and Hermione won't find out for ages yet, sorry. And I don't think that Sev actually knows that every things going to be all right, but yeah, he might, you can never tell with Sev! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
SayianSeker88 - Different is good, predictable is boring!  
  
Kylie - thanks! Yeah, I'm back and now posting! It wasn't my fault I went on holiday! If I were mean I wouldn't have promised to update when I got back, so I'm not mean. Lol, thanks for reviewing!  
  
Mdemanatee - thanks, and I'm updating! And I like an original storyline, predictable is boring!  
  
Parselmouth - I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review!  
  
Wow, that's a lot of reviews! Well, on with the story!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The next both Harry and Draco were very quiet, they were worried and a bit scared about the upcoming days with Voldemort, or Tom as they were now supposed to call him. Their father was teaching again and had said that they didn't have to sit at the back of the classroom and study so Harry fled up to Dumbledore's office, needing someone to talk to.  
  
He didn't know what Draco was doing and when he was being honest with himself he knew that he was actually quiet surprised that Draco was scared to spend four days with Tom and on questioning his twin about this Harry had discovered that Lucius Malfoy had not been the most caring father in the world, and that he had been a follower of the evil Voldemort Draco was quite afraid of this and had been brought up as a true Slytherin, hating every minute of it. He had always felt different, and that it wasn't right for him.  
  
Reaching the office Harry said the password from last night, walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. He heard the quiet "enter" and walked in. "Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said when he saw who it was, "what can I do for you?"  
  
Harry just shrugged miserably and looked at the floor, not at all his usual self and Dumbledore thought he knew what was plaguing the boy, well at least part of it. The upcoming days, which were going to be spent with Tom Riddle, were making Harry worried and upsetting him quite a bit, but he was also starting to question everything that was going on in his life as well, and wondering whom he could trust.  
  
Gesturing for Harry to take a seat, the headmaster conjured a plate of cream cakes and a jug of pumpkin juice. He poured both himself and Harry a drink and settled back, watching as Severus' son sipped at his drink and looked round nervously. Something was definitely troubling the young boy.  
  
"So Harry, I'm going to guess that you're here to discuss what happened last night," Dumbledore asked, with only a hint of the usual twinkle in his eye.  
  
Harry nodded. "Professor, I really don't want to go and stay with him, but Father seems to think it's a good idea. It's just." Harry broke off and looked at the ground. He had only been in the wizarding world for a year but he was used to everyone commenting on how much he looked like James, but with his mother's eyes. Now he knew that it was just a charm and that if it was took off the wizarding world wouldn't have their hero anymore, their would be no more Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived because Harry Potter didn't exist, but apparently Harry Snape did.  
  
Dumbledore sat quietly and let Harry think before he urged the eleven-year- old to speak again.  
  
Harry didn't need any urging, he look up, gazed straight into his headmaster's eyes and asked, "Professor? Is Professor Snape really my Father?"  
  
Ah, now Dumbledore thought he knew the other thing that was plaguing Harry, he was questioning everything that was happening in his life, not sure who he could trust, or who he could turn to.  
  
"Yes, my dear Boy," Albus told him, "Severus Snape is your Father."  
  
Harry just nodded and looked at the ground. Albus stifled a sigh, he knew Harry was close to tears and he could understand how it could all be too much for a young boy, for that was all that Harry was. He was only eleven.  
  
"Harry," Albus spoke softly and waited until the Gryffindor was looking at him. "Your Father loves you very much and I'm sure that if you ask him, he will explain everything to you, he is a good man."  
  
Harry nodded again. "But what about Draco? I mean, I trusted him instantly when I found out that he was my twin, just like I trusted Dad, but now I'm not so sure about anything anymore," Harry was on the verge of tears and he squeezed his eyes shut as he felt one slide down his cheek.  
  
Wiping it away quickly, Harry opened his eyes in time to see Professor Dumbledore push his chair out from behind his desk. The Headmaster of Hogwarts then offered one of his hands to Harry, who stood up and took it, letting him be pulled into the man's side. "Now then, lets have no more of this," Albus said whilst wiping another tear from Harry's cheek, "I want to see the smile that is usually on this face."  
  
Harry gave a hesitant grin and went back to his own chair at the other side of the Headmaster's desk. "Now that you've gotten all that off you chest, do you want to talk about anything else?" Albus asked. Harry shook his head for an answer. "Well, why don't you sample one of those cream cakes then."  
  
Harry reached out and took one, offering another grin to the Headmaster, suddenly things didn't seem so bad, but he knew he still had a long way to go before he was completely comfortably with all the changes taking place in his life.  
  
The cream cakes were good and Harry savoured every bite. However, someone else in the office also had a soft spot for the cakes.  
  
Unseen by both Harry and the Headmaster, Fawkes the Phoenix came and settled on the back of Harry's chair. Harry was too busy looking around the office to notice the bird and the Headmaster was staring into the fire, lost in thought.  
  
Fawkes, however, took advantage of Harry's distraction and pecked at the cream cake still in his hand. Harry gave a startled gasp when he felt something pecking at his hand and got a shock when he saw a phoenix sat on the back of his chair, though he guessed instantly that the bird belonged to Dumbledore.  
  
"Erm Professor?" Harry asked. "Is your Phoenix allowed cream cake?"  
  
Dumbledore jolted out of his gaze and looked over to see Harry offering the last of the cream cake to Fawkes, since he had already had half of it. The bird fluttered down to Harry's shoulder and gladly took the treat. Dumbledore just chuckled.  
  
Harry reached out his other hand, since he still held what was left of the cream cake in one, and gently stroked Fawkes' brilliant feathers. The phoenix didn't mind and just let Harry.  
  
"He is a phoenix, isn't he Professor?" Harry checked with Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, Fawkes is a phoenix Harry, a phoenix that has a soft spot for cream cakes," Dumbledore told him.  
  
Harry giggled slightly. "Their tears have healing powers, don't they?" he asked, he could remember reading something about them in the Magical Creatures book which he had borrowed from the library.  
  
"Why, yes they do Harry, but how do you know all this?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Oh, I checked a book out of the library on Magical Creatures," Harry told him, slightly embarrassed.  
  
Dumbledore however simply stood up and went over to his bookshelf and pulled down an extremely old looking, thick, dust-covered book. He handed it to Harry without a word, who looking in wonder at the book, a book on all the creatures in the world, both magical and non-magical. He turned a few pages, seeing the hand-written words and the carefully drawn diagrams all in black ink, before looking back up at Dumbledore. "Please could I borrow it for a while Sir?" he asked politely.  
  
"You may keep it Harry," Professor Dumbledore told him.  
  
"Oh, Sir, I couldn't, it belongs to you," Harry told him.  
  
"It is mine to do as I wish with," Dumbledore told him, "and I wish to give it to you. Consider it eleven years worth of Christmas and Birthday presents."  
  
Dumbledore took the book back and wrote inside the front cover, 'To Harry, after completing his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor Dumbledore.' And then handed it back to Harry.  
  
"Thank you, Sir," Harry told him. "I can't wait to show Hermione!" Harry paused for a moment. "And speaking of Hermione, what am I supposed to tell her and Ron? I mean, I don't want to tell them that Snape's my ."  
  
"Professor Snape, Harry," Dumbledore broke in.  
  
"Yes, well, I don't want to tell them that he's my Father, but where do I tell them I've been for the past three days? Could I tell them that he put Malfoy and me in solitary confinement for fighting? That you insisted he did?" Harry asked, in a bit of a rush.  
  
"Of course you can, if you do not feel that you are ready to tell them the truth," Dumbledore told him, "Though I do not normally approve of lying," he added as an after thought.  
  
"Don't worry, neither does Father," Harry told him. "Can I also tell them that I'm staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and not with the Dursley's?"  
  
"Of course, I have a feeling that you might be spending more time here than at Snape Manor, anyway," Dumbledore told him with a twinkle in his eye. "Your Father does not like it much there, too many bad memories I think," Dumbledore told Harry with a knowing smile.  
  
Harry smiled back, and although he didn't completely feel right belonging to this new family, he knew that there was nothing he could now about it. "Now, why don't you have another cream cake," Dumbledore offered him. "Just don't tell your Father, he'd kill me for giving you rubbish as he calls it before your lunch."  
  
Harry grinned and took another cream cake. He took a bite out of it and then offered it to Fawkes who had flew back to his shoulder. After Fawkes had had a peck Harry took another bite and then offered it to Fawkes again. And so this went on until it was finished, boy and phoenix having half each.  
  
It was nearing lunchtime when Harry left, not eager to bump into any students before they all went into the Great Hall for lunch, Harry hurried down to his Father's quarters, book in hand and cream cakes in his pocket.  
  
Entering his Father's quarters Harry saw Draco curled up near the fire. Despite the fact that it was summer, it was still surprisingly cold down in the dungeons.  
  
Draco didn't even look up when Harry entered and this worried him, what was up with his twin? Was he having the same insecurities that he himself was? "Draco?" Harry asked hesitantly. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Huh, what? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," Draco reassured Harry, who gave him a grin and then disappeared into their room to put the book Professor Dumbledore had given him away in his trunk. He also stored the cream cakes there, so that he didn't sit on them, and also so that his Father didn't find them. He then went back out into the main room and settled into what was becoming his favourite armchair.  
  
"So, have you been thinking all morning?" Harry teased his twin.  
  
Draco laughed and came and sat on the settee near Harry. "Nope, I've done some work on Defence Against the Dark Arts, since Father said I need to improve on that."  
  
Harry suddenly felt very guilty, he'd done penalty of work on History of Magic, but not much on Herbology, apart from a quick read through of his notes.  
  
"So, where have you been all morning?" Draco asked.  
  
"Talking with Professor Dumbledore," Harry told him and at seeing Draco's slightly confused look he explained, "I just needed to sort my head out and we agreed that we're to tell our friends that Professor Snape put us in solitary confinement for fighting, which sounds believable for us."  
  
Draco laughed, "Yeah, it does. I can't believe that this is the last day of school, which means that the day after tomorrow we go and stay with Tom."  
  
Harry gulped. "Yeah. ah well, I'm going to push that thought out of my mind until after the leaving Feast, which we better be attending. Father's going to have to so I'm sure that we will."  
  
"Yeah, we'll be sat with our houses and our friends and then sleep in our dormitories," Draco said.  
  
"Yeah, and then everyone will comfort us because we got put into solitary confinement with each other," Harry joked.  
  
Draco dissolved into laughter with him, "Yeah, that's probably what will happen."  
  
They were both laughing quite hard when Harry thought of something else, "Hey, I wonder who's won the house cup?"  
  
"Slytherin," Draco answered immediately, because you, Neville and Hermione lost all those points for Gryffindor."  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it! And it wasn't even really mine and Hermione's fault!" Harry complained.  
  
"What on earth were you doing that night?" Draco asked.  
  
"It's not worth the answer," Harry sighed, "And besides, I thought you knew half of it because you took that book from Ron in the hospital wing, there was a personal letter inside that you know."  
  
I know, but Crabbe knocked it in the fire before I could read it," Draco told his twin, who in turn sighed with relief.  
  
"I really don't want to know, do I?" Draco asked.  
  
"No," Harry told him.  
  
"I take it I don't either then," asked a voice from the doorway.  
  
Harry gulped and then answered, "No Father,"  
  
Severus looked Harry over, twice. "Very well then, why don't you two go freshen up before lunch?"  
  
Harry and Draco went into their room to wash their faces.  
  
"Why do you think Dad's so strict with us?" Harry asked.  
  
"Haven't a clue, but it's not fair!" Draco told him.  
  
Harry sighed and they both headed to the dining room.  
  
Please, please, please review! 


	8. Getting the Stone

Hersheyhugs - I know it's OOC, it's kind of hard to write otherwise with this storyline!  
  
'Mes - Thank You, I'm really sorry this took so long!  
  
Natasha - If you're reading this then you are probably crazy!  
  
Palanmenal - Going to stay with Tom in the next chapter, should be interesting!  
  
Joce - Thank you!  
  
Lady Macbeth - I'm sorry this took soooo long!  
  
Selenitey - definitely weird! But normal is boring!  
  
Xikum - Severus will be having a chat to them, sometime soon probably!  
  
Blonde-angel1 - Thank you!  
  
Kayla - Not sure, I think it's going to depend on what they've done, probably in the early days Sev will spank them, but once they all get more used to the situation, probably not.  
  
Awfn - Harry and Draco will be getting into more trouble that I can promise!  
  
Azzie@Az - definitely alternate universe!  
  
Padawan JanAQ - Thank you, sorry this took like for ages!  
  
Rain Warrior - Thanks!  
  
Parselmouth - Sorry I took so long to update!  
  
Ginny Lorina Fireseerer - Thank you! I'm glad you like it!  
  
Oracale - I'm glad you like it, and I managed to sort out the whole house cup dilemma, thanks for the suggestion though!  
  
Martin - Hey hun! You're probably not going to read this again unless I force you, but yeah. and I've had to rush this chapter because of you! :P  
  
Nikki - Thanks! I'm glad you like it. *hits Martin* not funny, that was not my fault!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Harry and Draco sat quietly through lunch, Harry hating every second of it. Why did it have to be his life that was completely turned upside down? Well, to be fair, Draco's had took a big change as well, but not as much as Harry's. Draco had suspected he had been adopted for some time and upon questioning his house-elf Dobby, during the Christmas holidays, he had discovered he was correct.  
  
Harry stayed silent through the whole meal, looking down at the table; he really wasn't comfortable with this situation. Now that he was getting use to all the changes taking place in his life he was starting to question. He was no longer going to follow blindly.  
  
Once Severus had left the quarters and headed for his lessons, Harry bolted up to the Gryffindor Common Room - he wanted to catch Ron and Hermione before lunch was over.  
  
He met them when they were just heading out of the portrait hole. "Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, guys," Harry greeted them slightly wearily. "I have had the worst few days ever!"  
  
"Where have you been?!" Ron asked, worry for his best friend quite evident.  
  
"In isolation with Malfoy for fighting. And to top it off, Snape was the one who was watching over us, so it hasn't exactly been a pleasant experience!"  
  
"Ouch," Ron commented.  
  
"Come here," Harry urged, dragging them back into the common room and into a corner. "I learnt some pretty interesting things. What do you suppose a race of Pure Wizards means?"  
  
"Some reforms to school?" Hermione suggested.  
  
"I sure hope so. since it's Voldemort, uh, sorry, Tom Riddle," Harry told them.  
  
"What?!" Hermione asked.  
  
"Ummm.. Long story?" Harry told her.  
  
"But the Stone!" Hermione was very confused.  
  
"Well, it's not Snape who's trying to steal it. Whoever it is, obviously doesn't know that Voldemort has had a change of heart."  
  
"So, now what?" Ron asked.  
  
"We find out who wants the stone, and why," Harry told them.  
  
"We go down that trapdoor. Now," Hermione added.  
  
The three grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak and quickly made there was to the trapdoor. Most teachers had cancelled afternoon classes anyway, so they weren't going to miss much. It was only Snape who hadn't called off his class.  
  
Going down the trapdoor they encountered the Devil's Snare and Harry suddenly knew why his father had said that he needed to improve his Herbology. Next came the flying keys, which with Harry being the youngest Seeker in a century, didn't present that much of a problem, though Ron and Hermione weren't too steady on their broomsticks.  
  
Next was where Ron shone, the giant chess set. The scary part came when Ron sacrificed himself and got knocked out. Harry felt the true meaning of friendship and what he now had with Draco seemed very pale compared with it. He had only known Ron and Hermione for a year, but he held them very close.  
  
When Hermione through her arms around his neck in a hug, Harry knew that he didn't need Severus and Draco to have a family, he already had one in Ron and Hermione, this was a friendship that went deep.  
  
Walking through the flames after sending Hermione back to help Ron was the scariest thing that Harry had ever done. He hadn't a clue to who or what to expect on the other side.  
  
He certainly didn't expect Quirrell.  
  
"There's no point, you know," Harry told him. "What use are you going to do with a stone like that?"  
  
"You know full well who it's for Potter! You stick your nose into places where it shouldn't be," Quirrell spat at him.  
  
"Tom Riddle doesn't want the Stone," Harry stated calmly "and besides, neither you nor me has any idea of how to get it."  
  
It was then Harry noticed the mirror of Erised. Looking into it, he was surprised when he discovered that he had got that Stone and that Quirrell now couldn't get it. Unfortunately, Quirrell saw something on his face, which resulted in a fight. It was a good while later, when both lay unconscious, that Dumbledore came and pulled Quirrell off Harry and had him packed off to St. Mungo's.  
  
Two hours later, Harry was released from the hospital wing and went in search of Ron and Hermione, and the three went to the Great Hall for the leaving Feast.  
  
The Hall was decked out in Slytherin's colours, which wasn't exactly good news for any Gryffindor's. Draco shot Harry a triumphant smirk, which Harry responded with a glare.  
  
Albus Dumbledore presented the House Cup, and then made a surprise announcement. "Yes, well done Slytherin! However, I have a few last minute points to award.  
  
Everyone, including the Golden Trio shared confused looks. "First, to Miss Hermione Granger," Hermione looked at Harry and Ron in complete shock, and they responded with equally confused looks. The only thing they heard was "fifty points" and the Gryffindor table exploded into applause. Next came "to Mr. Ronald Weasley." And the Trio knew what the points were for now. "Fifty Points," Ron and Harry couldn't help share a high-five whilst Hermione laughed and the rest of the school, minus the Slytherin's applauded. Next came "To Mr. Harry Potter," and the room fell deathly silent. The Trio were interested as to what Dumbledore would say the points were being awarded for since no one knew about what had happened with Quirrell. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, sixty five points!"  
  
Severus shot Harry a very confused look, as did Draco but Harry just concentrated on celebrating, all three of them, him, Hermione and Ron, knew that Gryffindor had won the House Cup. No one else had figured it out.  
  
Speaking to the friends around them, Harry, Hermione and Ron chorused, "We've just won the House Cup by five points!" and all the Gryffindor's began cheering and took up the chant of "We've won the house cup, we've won the house cup!" as Dumbledore changed the Slytherin colours to Gryffindor ones.  
  
All in all it was a good night, but Harry was not looking forward to having to explain how he, Ron and Hermione had pulled off a victory for Gryffindor in one afternoon when they were a hundred and fifty points down.  
  
Sorry if this isn't what you were expecting, I promise more Draco and Severus in the next chapter, after all, Harry and Draco will be off to stay with Tom!!! 


	9. Beginning of the Holidays

I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN LIKE FOREVER – I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH OF AN EXCUSE, NOT THAT YOU'D WANT TO HEAR IT ANYWAY. PLEASE JUST ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES AND READ AND REVIEW!  
  
'Mes – thank you! They're at Tom's now – a sure spell for trouble!  
  
Lainie xox – glad you like it!  
  
Charley4 – he's not too happy, but nothing major in this chapter!"  
  
Palanmenel – At Toms now!  
  
Byproduct of Evil – update at last, glad you like it!  
  
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VampCat – Continued, after a very long gap, I will admit!  
  
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Padawan Jan-AQ – more, and they're not, well Snape at least...  
  
Parselmouth – glad you like it, and they're at Tom's!  
  
Chocolover – continued!  
  
Sword Wielder – Firebreath – The Dursley's and Malfoy's will be explained later.  
  
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ONCE MORE, SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG – PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!  
  
The noise in the Common was explosive. "Come on! Tell us what you done! How on earth did you manage this?" Harry, Ron and Hermione were asked. The three just smiled at each other and said nothing, but Harry had a feeling that he was going to be in major trouble with his dad. And Draco wasn't going to be very pleased either. Harry briefly wondered if this would set their friendship back any, but quickly decided that he didn't care. Now the shock had worn off he was no longer just going to accept everything. I mean, how could HE be Severus Snape's son and Draco Malfoy's twin? And if he was, then what about James Potter? How did he fit into this whole mess? Harry wanted answers, but he wasn't brave enough to ask Severus for them. He'd have to ask Dumbledore tomorrow, once everyone had gone home and he and Draco had stayed behind. And they'd be going off to stay with "Tom" after that... Harry visibly paled at the thought and Hermione put a hand on his arm.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked.  
  
Harry managed to give her a weak smile. "Just a bit shocked at everything that's happened," he told her truthfully and let her think he was talking about the Philosophers Stone, which he wasn't. She smiled back at him just as McGonagall entered the Common Room and put an end to the party.  
  
Walking up to the dormitory with Ron, Harry realised that all his stiff was still down in Snape's quarters but the House elves had put him out a pair of pyjamas. He quickly changed and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, despite all his worries and fears about the upcoming few days and weeks.  
  
The next morning dawned bright and cool and luckily for Harry, the House elves had once again left some clothes out for him. A pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt – they seemed to have better taste than Severus did. His other dorm mates were waking as well, all doing last minute packing, since they were going home today.  
  
"Hey, Harry?" Neville asked. "Where's all your stuff?"  
  
"Oh, I'm staying here for the holidays, so Professor Dumbledore moved it to a different room for me already," Harry told them all. "And if I'm going to be stuck with teachers all summer then I want letters! I need some sanity, or insanity might be more of the case! Basically I'll need something to do, so make sure that you all write!" Harry told them.  
  
Dean laughed. "Don't worry Harry, we will. I'll need someway to keep in touch with the wizarding world, so don't worry, you'll receive plenty of owls from me," Dean told him.  
  
"Harry? Going to walk down to the station with us?" Seamus asked.  
  
"Yeah, I might as well, I've got nothing better to do," Harry decided, plus it meant that he could avoid Severus and Draco for even longer.  
  
With that, all the first-year Gryffindor boys went down to breakfast, all talking about the holidays and promising to write to each other. After sharing a dorm for a year, close friendships had developed, and even though they didn't admit it to each other, they knew that they were going to miss one another. The girls were more open about such things and many were teary eyed. When they found out that Harry was staying at Hogwarts over the summer, Lavender and Paravati hugged him and promised that they would also write. Hermione said that she would as well, but Harry already knew that she would. Lavender and Paravati he didn't know all that well, as they tended just to stick together all the time but he was already looking forward to their letters as well. He didn't know how he was going to survive a summer with Severus and Draco. It was starting to sound more and more like hell all the time. But it was better than the Dursley's, anything was better than the Dursley's, even hell!  
  
Walking back from the train station with Hagrid, Harry felt a sense of dread pierce his heart and began to drag his steps, trying to take as much time as possible to get back to the castle. Hagrid noticed this and slowed his steps as well and Harry struck up a conversation about Norbert, deciding that it was a topic Hagrid could about for ages and that it would be impolite to leave in the middle of a conversation.  
  
So, an hour later, Severus found Harry in the Great Hall talking to Hagrid and the topic had moved on to Magical Creatures in general, a favourite topic of Harry's. Harry froze up when he saw his Father, but Severus didn't look mad, he had a calm neutral look on his face, which Harry decided did not look good for him. Severus motioned that he should follow him with his head and Harry said a hasty good-bye to Hagrid before hurrying to follow his Father back down to his quarters. Severus sent him too his room with a hard swat to his backside and Harry resisted the urge to whimper. That had hurt.  
  
Draco looked up from where he was packing his case when Harry walked in, rubbing his bottom. That one smack had hurt terribly but he said nothing and just got to work on packing his own trunk. He was not looking forward to going and staying with "Tom", but there wasn't much he could do about it. He noted absent-mindedly that the House elves had fixed Dudley's old clothes so that they looked like they were new and were now the right size for him. He grinned at, and actually couldn't wait to go shopping to get some new clothes. He realised that he could get whatever he liked, and that even if it wasn't his size, the house elves could change it for him.  
  
Draco tried to start a conversation a few times, but Harry wasn't very responsive so he gave up after a while. Both boys, however, stood hesitantly when Severus entered the room. Severus ignored Draco and instead focussed his attention on Harry. "Be grateful that we have to leave soon, otherwise you and I would have been having a very long conversation," he was told and Harry had the feeling that there wouldn't have been much talking done in the conversation. Draco shot him a worried glance but Harry just nodded to Severus and studied his feet.  
  
All to soon, Harry was getting his first lesson in how to use floo powder. "Can people travel together?" he suddenly asked. He had been very quiet up until that point.  
  
"Of course," Severus told him, "If they stand close together and hold onto each other.  
  
"Well... could me and Draco possibly go together first, and then you follow with the trunks?" he asked hesitantly. Looking at both Draco and Severus.  
  
"Yeah, good idea," Draco told him, and dragged Harry into the fireplace. Draco grabbed the floo powder and spoke clearly "Riddle House!" and the two began to spin, to land on their faces a couple of minutes later. They were helped to their feet by one Tom Riddle and were stood in front of him when their father arrived a minute later.  
  
Severus smiled at Tom, who clasped him lightly on the arm. "I'm afraid I can't stay, I need to get going immediately. The boys wouldn't be any trouble," Severus told Tom, whilst shooting Harry and Draco a look that clearly stated that if their was any trouble, their would also be trouble to pay when he got back. Severus then gave them both a quick hug, which Harry had to concentrate really hard on not to flinch away and left.  
  
Harry and Draco shared a look and then glanced at Tom, who cleared his throat. "Well then, lets get you settled in shall we. The house elves have already taken your trunks, so I'll show you to your room."  
  
Harry guessed that this meant that they were sharing once more, and despite the promise only a few days earlier to be friends, Harry had a feeling that it wasn't such a good idea. These were going to be a long few days...  
  
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! 


	10. All's Calm For Now

_HecateDeMort_ – I'm glad you think so!  
  
_Samantha_ – Well, things seem ok at the moment... Thanks for the review!  
  
_Sky_ – It didn't take as long for me to update this time, but I will admit it has been a while. Thanks for the review!  
  
_Oompa_ – The update is finally here! Thanks!  
  
_Cyre_ -I know soon doesn't mean a few months, but this didn't take as long as the last update did!  
  
_PEG_ – I'm glad you are, thanks!  
  
_Palanmenel_ – well, it's sooner than last time! Thanks for the review!  
  
_'Mes_ – Thank you! I'm glad you think that it's believable! The update didn't take as long this time!  
  
_Fuzzlebub85_ – well, you got me to update! Thanks Fuzzy!  
  
_Jennifer_ – Thank you!  
  
_Krr84_ – the update is finally here!  
  
_Cassy-australia_ – weird is better than normal!  
  
**Chapter 10**  
  
Tom left them once he was sure that they had everything they would need. Their room was much like the one they had back in their father's quarters at Hogwarts. It had two beds, two dressers and two desks. Everything was identical. Harry couldn't help think that it would be funny if he and Draco had the charms off and were also identical in the identical room. Then everything would be identical. But Professor Snape didn't seem to want to take the charms off him and Draco and this made him question the truth even more and if they were really charms on him and Draco.  
  
Harry stifled a sigh and decided that if he was going to be stuck here, he might as well do something useful. He grabbed his new History of Magic notes, the original notes he had taken and his textbook. Then he sat at the desk he'd claimed as his and began to work. Unknown to him, Draco was staring at him, shocked. Draco had seen the change in his twin from the morning of the leaving feast to the next day instantly. He just didn't know what had caused this change, or why it had happened. He wished that Harry would trust him, but he knew that that was probably asking too much. They had hated each other all year, after all. And their father hadn't exactly been nice to Harry in class. Since Harry was working, Draco decided that he might as well work as well. He grabbed his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook and sprawled out on his bed, starting to read. Honestly, he thought, how did his father expect him to do well in a subject where the teacher stuttered? It was practically impossible to follow what the man was saying! But it appeared that Harry had got a decent mark though, good enough to please their father.  
  
Both Harry and Draco looked up as Tom entered the room. He was also laughing slightly. "And your father expects me to have trouble with you, yet you haven't even been here an hour and you're both studying quietly in your room. You can explore the house if you want, if you get lost, just snap your fingers and a house-elf will come. I'll send a house-elf to get you when it's time for the evening meal. And please let me know if you're going outside." Tom was trying to be as nice to them as possible, so that there wouldn't be any trouble. He also knew that Severus was quite strict with them and he decided to give them a bit of freedom. After telling them this, Tom left the room once again.  
  
Harry carefully checked that his notes were in order and then put them back in his trunk. He left the room without saying anything to Draco, which hurt Draco a lot more than he thought it would. Harry didn't feel anything by treating Draco like that, though. He still needed to get his head around all of this. Two of the people he hated most had all of a sudden become his family. He needed proof that they really cared. Harry was glad that he was able to be active and spent the afternoon wandering through the halls of Riddle House, occasionally looking at the portraits. A few had called out greetings to him; they had seemed shocked that someone was actually in the house. Harry hadn't hung about long after he had returned their greetings and they got the idea that he wanted to be alone. Harry knew that he was completely lost in the house, but he decided that he'd just wait for the house-elf, whatever that was, to find him when it was time for dinner. Harry had had lunch with Hagrid in the Great Hall earlier that same day, and he wished he could be having dinner there as well. He had a feeling that it would be much more enjoyable.  
  
Harry was so lost in thought that he almost walked straight into Tom. He would of if Tom hadn't stopped them both in time. "I'm sorry, sir," Harry apologised. Tom just smiled at him and told him not to worry about it.  
  
"Have you seen Draco on your wanderings?" Tom then asked him.  
  
"No, Sir. He was in our room when I left," Harry told him.  
  
"Ok, I'll send a house-elf to get him and he can meet us in the dining room. Now come along, its dinnertime and both you and Draco are way too skinny for my liking," Tom instructed him.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and Tom raised his eyebrows, requesting an explanation. "That's what father said!" Harry explained.  
  
"Well, that just proves that it's true then, doesn't it," Tom said as they entered the dining room to find Draco waiting for them.  
  
Neither Harry nor Draco ate enough for Tom's liking and he urged them both to eat more. "You both really are too skinny," Tom insisted. "Didn't those families of yours ever feed you when you were younger? I use the term family very loosely of course."  
  
Harry and Draco shared a look, both reading it as 'they were supposed to feed us?!' and they could feel the friendship they had shared a few days before returning. Draco felt much happier suddenly, and to his surprise, so did Harry. The two grinned at each other.  
  
Tom was happy as well. It seemed that Harry and Draco were going to be no trouble while they were here. Little did he know, that he had just jinxed himself. He also didn't know how hard eleven-year-old boys can be to handle when they're mad and confused...  
  
_Ok, I don't particularly like this chapter, but please review!_


	11. Arguments

_**Thanks very much to Fuzzy, who practically forced me to write this and helped me out a lot! She even wrote part of it, so go thank her!**_

_Fuzzy – _well, you've got me to write another chapter again!

_Headncloud – _Thank you!

_HecateDeMort – _Thanks!

_Pure Black - _Yeah, Tom is pretty cool in this fic. Thanks for the review!

_Dsfsa – _Sorry for the wait, I'm glad you like the story!

_Madison – _Sorry for the long wait! Thanks for reviewing!

_Unseen Watcher – _Here's part of what happens!

_Mes – _Thank you! I like that line too!

_Moonfyre – _Unexpected is good! It makes you want to read more! Right? Thanks for the review!

**Chapter 11**

Later that night when Harry and Draco were in their room and Tom downstairs, Draco decided to act on the friendship he had felt earlier. "Where did you go earlier?" he asked Harry.

"Nowhere, and what is it to you, anyway?"

"I just wondered where you where, that's all," Draco told him. "You seem to have changed overnight."

"I'm just wondering what else about my life I don't know about," Harry shot at him.

"Hey, calm down!" Draco told him. "I'm pretty certain that Dad's told us everything now," Draco said defensively.

"Then why won't he take the charms off us?" Harry shot back. "There must be a reason for that!"

"I don't know. Maybe it's just too painful for him or something," Draco stated reasonably.

"And it doesn't hurt not to know what we really look like?" Harry asked him, scathingly.

"We've never known any different. All we are is curious, or in your case, suspicious," Draco told him.

"Will you please quit preaching?" Harry asked him, mockingly.

"I'm not preaching!" shouted Draco.

"You are too!" yelled Harry.

"Am not!" screamed Draco, getting angrier with Harry.

"Are too!" Harry was shouting louder than ever.

"Am not!" Draco screamed.

"You are so immature, _Malfoy_!"

"Look who's talking! May I remind you that you're the one who thinks it's painful that we don't even know what we look like? And don't call me Malfoy, _Potter_!"

Harry felt like he'd been slapped. His twin spat out the word "Potter" as if it was mud. How could he? Harry leaped at Draco and closed his fingers around the collar of Draco's shirt just as Tom walked through the door.

"Not fighting, are we, boys?" Tom asked smoothly. Harry promptly released Draco, who fell to the ground, and then helped him get to his feet.

"N-no, sir." Harry stammered. Draco cast Harry a quick glance, which did not go unnoticed by Tom.

"Because if you were, it will be my painful duty to inform your father," Tom continued. Harry and Draco exchanged glances. This was not good, not good at all. They were doomed.

Tom gave them both a stern look, taking in the pale faces. Apparently, the threat of their father was enough to bring Harry and Draco back in line. Tom couldn't help but wonder just how strict Severus was on his two sons. Deciding that Harry and Draco now seemed calm, Tom left the room, but kept his ears peeled, ready to enter again if he heard anything, which sounded even remotely like fighting. Because he knew full well that they had been fighting, and he knew that they knew he knew.

Once Tom had left the room, Draco glared at Harry again, and made a point of rubbing his neck. "Oh, don't be such a baby!" Harry muttered. "I barely touched you!"

"I am not a baby!" Draco hissed in a furious whisper, careful to keep the noise down, in case Tom heard them again.

"Than quit acting like one!" Harry shot back at him, also in a whisper.

"I do not act like one!" Draco told him, glaring at his twin.

Harry just rolled his eyes and then glanced at the clock in their room. It read twenty past nine and Harry guessed that Tom knew their bedtime. Sighing he got changed into his pyjamas and flopped down onto the bed which he had chosen, careful to keep his back to Draco at all times. Draco also got into his own bed, also keeping his back to Harry.

When Tom entered the room again, pleased to see the boys in bed, he thought that he could of cut the tension with a knife. Scratch that, he would need a frigging chainsaw! It was clear that they boys were unhappy with each other, the fact that they had their backs to each other was enough to alert him to that fact. And also Severus had told him that they had a habit of whispering to each other at night, but Tom suspected that if any whispering went on at all, it would be a whispered argument.

"Goodnight, boys," Tom said as he blew out the candles. Tom then left, shutting the door behind him and the room was left in darkness. Harry shifted about in his bed, not bothering to keep the noise down. He the flopped down on his side again, sighing huffily.

Draco also shifted in his bed, pounding his pillow with his fist and he settled down on his stomach, with his head pillowed on his arms. Harry had the bed nearest the window, and a small chink of light from the glow of the moon penetrated the room through the small gap in the curtains. Draco turned his head so that he could just see through that gap, but he could also see Harry's moody form and decided that it was a much better option to just look at the door. Both boys fell asleep thoroughly miserable, neither wanting the next day to come.

The next day, however, did come and both Harry and Draco woke up in bad moods, both silently fuming at the other. Neither had forgotten the arguments of the night before. A stale silence hung in the room as they got dressed. Draco tugged on a pair of dark denim jeans and a dark forest green shirt, while Harry put on a pair of dark brown cord trousers and a royal blue t-shirt which had the slogan _'What are you staring at?'_ on the front and _'Nothing to see here, move along'_ on the back in brown writing, almost the same colour as he trousers. The two boys didn't speak at all and only traded angry glances and glares.

Tom was already in the dining room when Harry and Draco made there way downstairs. The two boys were walking stiffly side by side, neither letting the other in front, both feeling the need to protect their backs from the other. The sat down on opposite sides of the table and Tom raised his eyebrows at them both, before hiding himself behind the Daily Prophet again. He was quite shocked at what seemed to be open hostility between the two boys and he was, suddenly, not looking forward to the coming day either.

Breakfast was a silent affair; Tom didn't try to engage the boys in conversation in case they ended up arguing again. Neither Harry nor Draco would even look at each other, choosing to stare down at their plates instead. However, under the table they traded a few kicks and both were certain that their shins were going to be bruised. They stopped the kicking after a while because Tom seemed to be getting suspicious. Indeed, Tom wasn't just suspicious, he knew what was going on. He had seen the barely concealed winches and the triumphant smirks and knew full well what was going on.

Once breakfast was over Harry and Draco went their separate ways, each going out of his own way to avoid the other. The house was silent, and to Tom, it was too quiet.

_Please, please, please review!_


	12. Making Up

**_Ok, well Fuzzy said that this chapter was ok as it is (although I don't particularly like it!), so here it is!_**

_HecateDeMort_ – Thank You!

_Starr Light1_ – Yeah, Harry was slightly mean, wasn't he? Thanks for the review!

_KC_ – Thank You! Play pranks on Tom? I don't think Harry and Draco are that brave!

_Sky_ – Yeah, I like the T-Shirt slogan as well!

_Emma-Lizzy-Black_ – Not for a while I'm afraid! Thanks for the review!

_Mes_ – They're getting along again!

_Scorpio-1983_ – I plan on keeping Tom good!

_Fuzzy_ – yes, yes, I know! You've managed to get me to update again! And as for taking the charms off, well that won't be for a while!

_Padawan Jan-AQ_ – Yeah, the boys are kind of funny when they're mad at each other, aren't they? Thanks for the review!

**Chapter 12**

Harry and Draco didn't see each other again until lunchtime and then it was a meal that was ate in silence whilst the two traded glares with each other across the table. "Is everything ok, boys?" Tom asked them both mildly, shocking them. Neither was aware that he knew that they were trading glares.

"Everything's fine, Sir," Draco answered for them both.

"And so the glares are just for appearance then, something which you would do in your Father's presence, I presume," Tom said smoothly.

Both Harry and Draco gulped, neither willing to look at the other. "We're sorry, Sir," Harry said.

"Whatever for Harry? You haven't done anything wrong, unless there's something that you two know which I don't..." Tom left the question hanging.

"No Sir," Harry answered quickly. He had been forgetting that this man was Voldemort, but the old fear suddenly came back with it. "N-nothing's going on th-that you don't kn-know about," Harry stammered and he promptly kicked Draco under the table when his twin deliberately hid a wicked grin because Harry was stuttering. Draco only just kept from yelping out loud and glared once more at Harry. When he was sure Tom wasn't looking, Harry narrowed his eyes in return.

"Well then," Tom said once they had finished their meal. "Your Father said something about you having to spend part of the summer studying?"

"Yes Sir," Draco told him. "Some of our marks weren't satisfactory in our end of year exams and we have to study those subjects in addition to doing our summer homework."

"I see," Tom said neutrally. "Which subjects would these be?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Draco jumped in. "History of Magic for both of us, Defence for me and Herbology for Harry."

"Very well, go and get some parchment, quills and ink and come back here and I'll give you a history lesson," Tom instructed them and both Harry and Draco stood and went to their room, side by side, since neither one was willing to follow the other.

This resulted in them falling through the door to their room and landing in a heap on Draco's bed. "Would you please watch where you're going, _Potter_, and kindly remove yourself from my bed!" Draco spat.

"Believe me, _Malfoy_, I have no pleasure in being on your bed. I'm going to need to shower now, but I don't have time," Harry shot straight back.

Draco laughed bitterly. "Harry, if you'd stop being such a _Gryffindor_ and apologize, maybe Tom wouldn't be so suspicious of us, because there wouldn't be anything to be suspicious of, we wouldn't be fighting, and he wouldn't tell dad we were fighting."

Harry sneered. "Oh, of course, Draco. You're so _Slytherin,_ you have to save your own neck."

"You called me Draco!"

"Well you called me Harry..." The two boys laughed.

"So I guess we're not fighting anymore, Harry?"

"No." said Harry.

"Good. Then I won't tell your Father," said a voice from the doorway. Harry and Draco panicked! They had forgotten about Tom!

"Sorry, Sir. We forgot to come back out," Harry said. Draco nodded. "Sorry, Sir." Tom smiled at the lads. "Just get your things and come out, and I'll help you with your History, boys." Harry and Draco grinned at each other and grabbed their stuff. Then they followed Tom out of the room. It was good to not be fighting again.

Once back in the dining room, Harry made a point of sitting next to Draco, instead of opposite him. Draco grinned at his twin, who smiled back at him. Both were hoping that Tom was a better teacher at History than Professor Binns was, man was that ghost boring!

Tom, however, deemed to teach them some History that was not in their textbook and soon all three were lost in the world of muggle ancient History, back in the ancient muggle civilisations of the Greeks and the Romans. Both Harry and Draco were fascinated, this was much better than Goblin rebellions, were each and everyone faded into the next and the order got all mixed up in your mind. Once Tom had finished explaining the two boys sat in silence, taking notes on what he had told them. Harry discreetly nudged Draco with his elbow. 'What?' Draco mouthed.

'A much better teacher than Binns, don't you think?' Harry mouthed back to his twin.

'Much' Draco agreed, managing to keep his head bent over his work, but turned at enough of an angle so that he could see Harry easily.

'Do you think we'd be able to convince Dumbledore to fire Binns and hire Tom instead? That way we might actually learn something!' Harry asked, still mouthing his thoughts to Draco.

Draco stifled a giggle. 'I can see that going down well! He-who-must-not-be-named teaching students at Hogwarts History of Magic!'

Harry also had to stifle laughter at this statement, trying desperately not to attraction Tom's attention. 'And he'd have to teach muggleborns!' Harry mouthed once they had both gotten themselves under control and once more they both doubled over in silent laughter.

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	13. Going Home

_A/N : Thanks so much to Fuzzy once again - this story wouldn't get written if it weren't for Fuzzy. And since I'm in a hurryI can't respond to reviews right now,I will in the next chapter,I promise! Thanks - Toria._

It was later that night, when they were both in bed that Harry heard Draco sigh. "What's wrong?" he asked of his twin.

"Nothing, why do you ask?" Draco asked back.

"Then why did you sigh?" Harry clarified his question.

"Just wondering," Draco answered non-committedly.

"You were just wondering what?" Harry pressed, trying to remain patient.

"Oh, just how long it will be until we have another fight, why we were fighting in the first place, Father's reaction if he ever finds out, what being a twin means… you know, just stuff," Draco answered.

"Oh, so just normal stuff then?" Harry said sarcastically.

"Yep, nothing out of the usual at all," Draco replied, and Harry could tell from his voice that he was smiling.

"Draco?" Harry then questioned as he rolled over to lie on his back and stare at the ceiling.

"Yeah?" Draco replied, as unbeknown to him he mimicked Harry's actions and also rolled over so he was lying on his back, not his side.

"Do you trust Father?" Harry asked quietly, not sure that he wanted his twin to hear, or if he wanted to know his twins answer to the question.

"Of course I trust Father!" Draco told him, shocked at Harry's question. "Why? Don't you?"

"I don't know," Harry told him quietly. "I just can't seem to forget the way he's treated me this past year. Everything's happening so quickly."

"I know what you mean. I mean, it's hardly surprising that we've already been fighting considering the way we've treated each other form the very first day we met," Draco reassured Harry.

"Yeah, I mean, what was Father thinking! That he could just spring this on us and we'd be totally ok with it and just accept each other and him? Life isn't that easy!"

"I know Harry, I know," Draco said around a yawn and he reached out and took Harry's hand, so that they were holding them across the space between their beds. And that is how they feel asleep that night and it was how they woke up the next morning.

A little while later Tom walked into the twins' room to discover what all the noise was about, he was hoping that they hadn't gotten into another argument and was profoundly glad only to discover that a pillow fight had broken out. Tom definitely preferred pillow fights to the fistfight he had had to break up the other day. Harry and Draco, however, stopped the fight as soon as Tom entered the room and looked at each other and then at him guiltily. Tom suppressed a chuckle, but they really did act like scared rabbits around him at times, until they forgot whom he used to be and then they started to act like he was their uncle or possibly an older brother or something, because back in his 'Tom form' he looked, and probably acted, younger than Severus. And Tom definitely preferred it when they forgot themselves – he didn't like scared little rabbits, it made him feel awkward as well as them, not that he'd ever let them know it, of course. But considering that they acted like scared little rabbits around him most of the time, he couldn't imagine why they had chosen to come and stay with him for the first few days of the holidays. But now he was getting lost in his own thoughts and Harry and Draco where still looking at him as if he was about to murder them. Turning his attention fully on Harry and Draco, he asked, "Ok then, do either of you want to explain what's going on in here?"

"We're sorry Sir," Draco whispered, "Please don't tell our Father."

"And you think that you're Father would disapprove of your actions?" Tom then asked.

"We don't know Sir," this time it was Harry who whispered.

"Well, even if your Father doesn't approve, I must certainly do, so you've got nothing to worry about there," Tom said, enjoying the looks of shock which appeared on the twins faces.

Harry and Draco, for their part, just gaped at him and then turned their shocked looks to each other. Then they shared a different look, one of amusement, both clearly sharing the same thought, knowing that the other was thinking what they were thinking and they both collapsed on to one of the beds, Tom identified it as the one Draco was using, and began to giggle. This time it was Tom's turn to be shocked, and the scared little rabbits seemed to of disappeared, at least for the time being.

Tom joined them on the bed, sitting on the edge of it. "I really don't want to know, do I?" he muttered quietly, but both Harry and Draco heard him anyway.

"Nope," they answered him cheerfully, talking as one person, which was slightly weird, but Tom decided that it was a twin thing.

After that, the day seemed to pass by in a blur for all three, with Draco and Harry having the time of their lives. They could hardly believe it when they were tucked up in bed again, and Tom came in to say goodnight and ruffle both of their hairs. And they woke up the next day excited.

"Well, boys," Tom said when they came down to breakfast, "it's been a pleasure to have you here. I'm not sure if you remember that your father is coming for you today..." Harry and Draco HAD forgotten. They gasped, their excited moods dampened. Would their father know they'd been fighting? Breakfast passed in relative silence, both boys scared of what their father might say.

After breakfast, Severus came back. "Has there been any trouble with the boys, Tom?" he asked.

"Oh, the boys haven't been any trouble, Severus," Tom said lightly. "I'm sure they can tell you all about it when you get home. They spent most of their time studying, actually." Harry was surprised. He looked quickly at Tom, who gave him a wink. Neither of these actions was unnoticed by Severus, who frowned. Draco gulped.

When they all got home, Severus glared at his sons. "What happened? I know Tom won't tell me, but he was obviously covering up for you!" Draco looked at Harry, who looked back at him, and neither boy said anything. They avoided their father's eyes.

"Nothing, Father," Draco said.

Severus took Draco's chin in his hand. "Draco, I seem to remember that one of the things I DON'T tolerate is lying..." Draco swallowed hard.

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	14. Consequences

_**Thanks to Fuzzy, who co-wrote this chapter- This story wouldn't get written if it weren't for her!**_

Harry stifled a sigh just in time. Sighing right now would most likely definitely not be a good move. But he was bored. He and Draco must have been stood in separate corners of the living room for about an hour and a half now, yet neither of them had told their Father what had happened at Tom's. They didn't want to tell him, not just because they didn't want to suffer the consequences, and they knew there would be consequences, but they also wanted to put the fight behind them and forget about it and get back to being friends, well at least Harry did.

In his corner of the room, Draco was grumbling. "How dare Father treat us like little kids, sticking us in this corner just because we won't tell him anything" he said. "I bet Potter is almost ready to crack."

"What was that Draco?" Severus asked, from where he was sat on the couch. "Did you say something?" Draco didn't answer, he knew better than to lie again and he'd bet anything that he was going to get into extra trouble for that earlier lie as well. Life just wasn't fair!

Harry was shocked. He couldn't believe that Draco was grumbling in his corner, didn't he know that they were in enough trouble already! Not that he'd heard what Draco had said, but he must have said something if their Father was asking him about it. Harry admitted to himself that he wouldn't dare grumble in this situation, he was too, well, scared. The man who had ordered him into the corner had been more like the Professor Snape he had known at the beginning of the year, not the man who had told him he was and had become his Father. Not that he was still having an easy time accepting this man as his Father. He stifled another sigh and leaned his forehead against the wall, knowing that he would be most likely rebuked for not standing up straight.

"Harry, perhaps _you _would like to explain exactly what happened at Tom's? I know something happened, even if he tried to cover up for you," Professor Snape said in his quietest, most dangerous voice.

Harry gulped. "N-nothing, Father," he lied, regretting it instantly.

"I believe you were present when I explained to your brother that I do not tolerate lying, Harry? _More _than once?" Severus said in a dangerously quiet voice, barely above a whisper. Both boys knew they were in for it now. "Tell me." Draco and Harry exchanged glances, but to do this they had to crane their heads around, they were still stood in corners of the room. Severus looked at both of them. "I'm waiting, boys," he said, in a low voice that made Draco and Harry shiver. "_Tell me what happened. Now!_"

"We...we had a fight at Tom's house," Draco admitted quietly. Harry threw his twin an incredulous glance. How could he tell Father?

"I appreciate your honesty, Draco," Severus said neutrally. "However, I seem to remember explaining to you both that if you did not behave yourselves, there would be serious consequences for your actions..." Harry flinched. His Uncle Vernon used the same tone, even if it was in a much louder voice, whenever Harry had done accidental magic... and the consequences had indeed been severe. He tried not to show how afraid he was, but though his expression gave no sign, his stomach clenched and he shivered again. Though he didn't know it, Draco was faring no better.

Severus looked at them both. "Harry. Draco. Come over here" he said sharply, and they obeyed, glancing at each other. When Severus was sure he had their attention, he continued. "You deliberately disobeyed me, fighting while you were at Tom's, and then lied to me about it... I have made it clear, time and again, that I do not tolerate lying." The coldness in Severus' voice frightened both boys.

"Yes Father," they both whispered together.

"Then would either one of you care to explain why you continue to do so? Repeatedly?" Severus asked in a dangerously silky tone of voice. Neither Draco nor Harry said a thing, their was no satisfactory answer to _that_ question. Severus narrowed his eyes. "I asked you a question," he said in that same silky tone. He looked from one to the other. "Answer me." Harry and Draco shared a worried glance. Still neither said a word. Severus grabbed Draco's shoulder and pulled the boy toward him. "Draco...do you wish to tell me why you and your brother insist on disobeying me?"

Draco shook his head slightly. "We don't mean to," he barely whispered.

"Maybe you should start trying a little harder?" Severus suggested, still in the same silky tone. "Next time it might save you from the consequences."

Draco began to shake. "Father...please..." he begged. "What are you going to do to us? Don't you love us, Father?"

"Of course I do!" Severus told him, softening his voice a little. "But that doesn't mean that I'll tolerate wilful disobedience." The hard tone was back.

Draco had relaxed for a second when his Father softened his tone, but now he shook again. "Father...? What are you going to do to me?"

"Exactly the same as what I'm going to do to Harry," Severus told him, skilfully dodging the question. "But for now, why don't you tell me what this fight was about?" Draco wasn't really in a position not to answer.

"It was nothing much, honestly!" Draco panicked. "I can't remember how it started! But it did come down to Gryffindor and Slytherin," Draco admitted quietly.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "I told you not to argue over Gryffindor and Slytherin, did I not?" He glanced at Harry, who nodded. Harry sighed and put a hand on Draco's shoulder. He didn't want his brother to feel alone... At least, not as alone as he was feeling right now. He was already promising himself that he would never ever do anything like this again and he hadn't even faced the consequences yet! Harry's mind flashed back to when they first learned Professor Snape was their Father. He had gotten angry with them then, too, almost as angry as this. Almost. And since this was worse, he felt that he knew what could happen, and that it would be worse... And that it probably was one of the worst consequences they could face. Harry felt himself start to shake. This was going to be bad, he just knew it!

Draco gulped as his Father turned him round and placed six hard swats at the top of his thighs. He choked back sobs. Harry flinched. He knew to expect the same, yet he was still not quite prepared as his Father turned him around and placed the six hard swats to the top of his thighs. He couldn't quite believe how much it hurt and he was struggling to hold back his tears.

Severus looked fondly at his sons, who were trying so hard not to cry, and he wrapped an arm around each of them, holding them close. "Harry, Draco, it will be all right," he said soothingly. "Nothing you do can make me love you any less. You're my sons."

"That hurt!" Harry choked out, pointing out the obvious.

"That was the general idea," Severus said gently. "Maybe next time you will both think twice before you disobey me? Hmm?" Severus asked gently. He received two nods from the heads resting on his shoulders. "Because I can assure you, if there is a next time, it will be worse," Severus pulled back a bit and looked both Harry and Draco in the eye.

Draco and Harry let their tears go as their Father held them. "We won't fight, Father," they promised. "We're sorry for disobeying." As they spoke at the same time, they exchanged glances. It was so weird to know what the other was going to say...

"This is just going to take a bit of getting used to," Harry admitted, using the back of his hand to dry his face.

"I don't expect miracles," Severus told them. "But I do expect you not to fight and to obey me."

Both of them nodded. Draco was still finding it difficult to stop crying. He rubbed his eyes and choked back another sob. Harry glanced at his twin, worried. He was used to pain because of the Dursleys, but from the way Draco had carried on, it seemed like he had never been struck by anyone. That was not exactly true, however. Draco was no stranger to pain. He was more upset because his Father, the Professor who he admired most, had been really angry with him, and he felt like he had failed him.

Severus noticed the worried glance that Harry had shot at Draco and he held both of his boys closer, gently wiping away some of the tears that Draco was still crying. Harry's eyes were completely dry now and he seemed to be the stronger twin now, a contrast to when he had first told them they were brothers, when Draco had most definitely been the leader.

"Shh...Draco, it'll be ok," Harry said comfortingly, patting his brother on the shoulder. "It's ok."

Draco shook his head. "No it's not..."

"Why isn't it?" Severus asked quietly, stroking Draco's hair. "You both accepted the consequences of your actions bravely and it's over."

"I don't know, Father," Draco said in a whisper. "My... other father... I mean, well..." Draco stumbled over the words, not sure how to refer to Lucius anymore. "He... used to hit me when he felt I wasn't behaving like a proper Malfoy. And now that I know I'm not a Malfoy, I thought I wouldn't care anymore. But... Father, you've been the first person who I actually cared about... I never thought you..."

"Draco," Severus said quietly. "There is a big difference between being hit and those swats which I just gave you. You understand that, right?" Severus asked. "You too, Harry?"

The boys exchanged glances. They shook their heads. After growing up in abusive households, it was hard to tell the difference. "No, Father," they chorused honestly, knowing better than to lie again.

Severus stifled a sigh, silently admonishing himself for not explaining this sooner. Those swats I just gave you were intended to teach you a lesson, not simply just to cause you pain because you've done something wrong. You understand me so far?"

Draco and Harry weren't sure they understood. "Not really, Father," Harry said quietly.

"Well you see, it's working already. You already know better than to lie to me now, because you know what the consequences will be. And you're not just obeying out of fear." Harry and Draco shared another look, and it was another look which was noticed by Severus.

"Harry? Draco?" he questioned gently.

Harry looked at him. "Yes, Father?" he asked, together with Draco.

"You know I would never hurt you, right?" Severus asked them both.

Draco was still sniffling a bit. "But you did, Father," he said in a whisper.

"Draco," Severus said in a firm tone. "Why did I give you those swats?"

Draco looked at him. "Because I had a fight with Harry and lied to you about it."

Harry nodded. "Yeah..."

"Exactly," Severus told him. "I did not give you those swats just to cause you pain. You need to obey me, both of you. I gave you those swats _because_ you disobeyed me."

Draco frowned slightly. "My... other father... beat me when I disobeyed him..."

"And can you see the difference between what he done, and what I done?" Severus asked.

Draco pondered the question for a moment. "They both hurt, but I feel so much worse after this…"

Harry nodded. "The Dursleys beat me too" he said quietly. "And somehow this was worse."

"Any ideas why?" Severus asked, not wanting to push the matter, but he wanted an answer. Harry and Draco shared another long look. Neither wanted to answer, but one look at their Father's face and they knew that they were going to have to answer at some point. Both looked down, at each other, around the room, anywhere to avoid looking their at their father, which was starting to annoy Severus, he had thought that they were making progress.

Severus looked back at them. "Well" he pressed.

"Because... well, I'm not sure," Harry said. "I mean, I thought from the beginning that you hated me, Father, and now everything's so different..."

"It'll take time Harry, and I'm sorry about that. I thought I'd never be able to tell you or your brother the truth," Severus explained. "Especially when you look so different…"

Harry didn't quite manage to stifle a gasp, that had just reminded him. Severus looked at him and Harry seemed to visibly shrink. "I just remembered how the fight started off…"

"And?" Severus probed

"It started off as an argument about why you wouldn't take the Charms of us," Harry whispered. Draco gasped, he remembered now.

"Draco said that it involved Gryffindor and Slytherin?" Severus said neutrally.

Harry nodded. "Yes, Father."

"And how might I ask, do you get from appearance charms to Gryffindor and Slytherin?" Severus asked, having a feeling that he already knew the answer.

"Well, Father, we got angry with each other and I called Draco 'Malfoy'" Harry said, swallowing hard. "It's hard getting used to the fact that he's not."

"And I called Harry 'Potter'" Draco chimed in.

"And Tom kind of stopped that argument there," Harry said, swallowing hard. "But the next day it escalated into Gryffindor and Slytherin insults."

"So their was more than one argument at Tom's then?" Severus said in a quiet tone of voice which didn't reveal much of what he was thinking.

"Yes, Father," Draco admitted quietly.

"I see," Severus said neutrally. Draco felt like crying again.

"Well..." Severus said quietly. "Well..." he said again. The boys shared a look. "I think you know better than to fight again," Severus said finally. "I'll let it go this time." Harry and Draco sighed in relief. "But that does not mean I approve of or will condone such behaviour, do you understand?"

"Yes Father," Harry and Draco said and snuggled tighter into their Father's embrace.

_**Please, please, please review!**_


	15. Comfort

_**Yet another chapter from Toria and Fuzzy!**_

Severus held Harry and Draco for a little while longer. "Feeling better now?" he asked.

Harry was the one who nodded. "Messy, but better," he said, rubbing his face, which had the dried tracks of tears on it, with his hand.

"Drake?" Severus than asked gently.

"Uh huh," Draco answered, smiling at the new nickname, he had a feeling he was going to have to get used to it.

Still neither boy made to move to get up off the sofa, where they were still sitting with their Father's arms around them, there heads resting on his shoulders. Thinking back to a few weeks ago, and the opinion he used to have of the man who was now his Father, Harry would never have believed that Professor Snape was capable of doing something like this, he was always so cold and guarded, and he certainly didn't think that he'd be one of the people Professor Snape would be holding.

"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Severus asked gently. "Are you all right now?"

"I don't know, Father," Harry said. "I just was wondering... you're so different..."

Severus looked down at his son. "Different how?"

"You're just so... guarded when we're in class, so...cold, I guess... and it's different with us. Except... I felt like you were that way again when you punished us just now."

Severus hugged both Harry and Draco closer. "Know that whatever happens you can always talk to me, ok?"

"Ok, Father," Draco said. "I guess I've felt different too. You've always seemed to favour me in class, and then that first day, when you told us we were your sons, you... you know, and then today it happened again, worse. I felt like my world was turned upside down, Father."

"No Draco, I don't know. Your world has changed, that I understand, but…" Severus trailed off, giving Draco the chance to explain.

Draco looked at him. "The first time you gave us those swats for fighting and then you did it again today, and I was so afraid, Father, I didn't know what to think that first day, you'd always treated me and the Slytherins well before and treated Potter... I mean, Harry... I'm sorry," he said. "Treated Harry badly, and the Gryffindors."

"Because I had to," Severus explained gently.

Draco and Harry looked at him curiously. "You had to, Father?" they chorused.

"Yes I had to, a lot of Deatheaters have children at school. Now that Tom's back however, all that can change," Severus explained.

Harry looked at him. "Father, can I ask you..." he began hesitantly.

Severus gave Harry's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Of course, go ahead."

Harry choked back tears. "How come everyone thought... James... was my dad? How come no one knew the truth? Everyone says you hated each other..."

"For safety," Severus explained. "Tom wasn't always good you know."

"And yet... he agreed to do this? Did he like mum at all?" Draco questioned.

"He was very good friends with your mother."

"Why did Mum give me away? Why did you give me away, Father?" Draco questioned tearfully.

"Once again, for safety reasons," Severus said. "We'd do anything to keep you safe."

Harry put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Hey, Drake," he teased, "don't worry. Father and I are here for you now."

Draco grinned, hearing the teasing tone in Harry's voice. Severus, however, looked serious. "Of course we are," Severus said seriously. Harry and Draco shared a look, did their Father not understand teasing? Apparently not, they shared a secret grin, well, they thought it was secret...

"What is so amusing?" Severus asked them.

Harry and Draco shared a long look. "It was just a joke, Father, we were just teasing each other," Draco explained in a hurry, not wanting to lie and say "Nothing", that had gotten them into trouble last time.

"Oh really?" Severus asked. "A joke about what? Somehow I have the feeling that it was more than just teasing each other…" Severus kept his face deadly serious and Harry and Draco shared another look.

Harry sighed. "I called him Drake, because you did. I was just kidding. He knew I was teasing."

"And what, may I ask, is wrong with the name 'Drake'?" Severus asked.

Draco laughed. "Nothing, Father. I was just wondering if Draco was really my name, or if... my other father... named me that."

"No, it's not," Severus informed them. "But it will be for the time being."

"So Harry isn't really my name either?" questioned Harry.

"No it isn't. But, like Draco's, it will be for now," Severus answered.

"This is going to be like the charm thing, isn't it?" Draco half whined.

"Indeed, for the time being. Things don't need to be any more confusing then it is necessary for them to be."

"No fair," both boys said, a sulky tone in their voices.

"Life isn't," Severus told them sternly. "And we're not going to argue about this, are we?"

"No, sir," they said quickly. "Father," they corrected themselves the next instant. It was still quite weird how they could speak, knowing that the other was going to say the exact same thing. Severus looked down at them. They had been all right with calling him "Father" for a while now, they had accepted the fact... why had it been different this time? Both boys shifted about uncomfortably under his intense gaze, not sure why he was looking at them the way he was. They shifted their gazes to each other... "Father?" Draco finally got up the courage to question.

"Yes Drake?" Severus asked.

"Erm… what erm... Why… Have we done something wrong?" He finally asked.

"No, you corrected yourselves in time," Severus told them with a smile. "Although, I am wondering why you had to correct yourselves?"

"I'm not sure Father," Harry admitted quietly. "Any ideas Draco?"

"Not really," Draco said.

"Well you must have some idea then," Severus pointed out logically and Draco looked at the floor. Severus removed his arm from around Draco's shoulders and gently lifted the boy's chin.

Draco let his Father lift his chin, but he still attempted to avoid looking him in the eyes and he ended up looking at Harry who shrugged. "I don't, anyway," Harry muttered.

Severus moved his hand to gently cup the side of Draco's face, drawing his son's gaze to him. "It's just… well… I think we… we automatically call… call you… you sir… when… you act… act like… you… do when… when you teach," Draco stuttered out, flushing with embarrassment.

Harry noticed Draco flushing but he ignored the fact. He nodded wisely, "I suppose that makes sense," he said. "It was a kind if automatic reaction."

Severus nodded. "I see," he said calmly, neutrally.

"We're sorry," both Harry and Draco whispered together.

Severus merely nodded again. "It's all right, boys, I understand," he said gently.

Both Harry and Draco were relieved and relaxed against their Father again, sharing a grin as they pushed him back even further onto the sofa.

That made Severus smile back at them and without warning, he pulled them forward and then them closer together so that he was hugging them both closely.

They both giggled slightly as they were held tightly, safely in their Father's embrace. Really, they thought, if this was what was going to happen after they had been punished, it wasn't _that_ bad… Harry shifted slightly and wrapped his arms tightly around his Father's neck. It as weird how that being punished strictly and then held lovingly had made him realise that Severus Snape _was_ his Father, and that maybe, that wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Draco mimicked Harry's actions, also wrapping his arms around Severus' neck and their Father stood, picking them up and placing then on their feet. "Let's get you two cleaned up," he suggested, taking in their still tear-stained faces and rumpled clothes.

"Thank you, Father," Harry whispered. He put his arm around Draco's shoulders and Draco imitated him. Severus smiled at the showing of unity, but in the end he had to break them up by stepping in between them and taking them both by the hand. He knew they were too old to hold hands with their Father really, but he had the feeling that he'd get away with it for now. He'd missed out on so much of their childhood. Harry and Draco didn't protest at all and shared a secret smile when they thought that Severus wasn't looking.

Severus fetched a wet washcloth and washed his sons' faces, wiping away the tearstains. He knew he could do just as well with a simple cleaning charm, but instead he gently wiped their faces with the wet cloth and they felt much better, he could see it. He smoothed their rumpled clothes and hugged them.

Harry and Draco let their Father clean them up, knowing that they were really too old for him to be doing this sort of thing to them, but it felt good - no one had ever done this to them before when they were growing up.

After Severus let them go, there was a tense silence. "Thank you, Father," Draco said finally, breaking the silence. Harry nodded. "Thank you." Harry and Draco went to their room. They stood next to their own beds and looked at each other.

"Are you okay?" Harry finally asked.

Draco nodded. "Okay, and you?"

"Okay," Harry answered.

_**Please, please review!**_


	16. A Visitor

_**Here's the next chapter!**_

Back in the sitting room, Severus sat reading a book, he understood that Harry and Draco needed to alone for a while. He was glad they were growing closer, he knew to expect fights along the way, but that didn't mean he was going to tolerate them, he needed them to get along and he would not allow them to hurt each other. He cared for them both too much.

In their room, Harry and Draco were curled up together on Draco's bed. "It hurt," Harry finally admitted. "But I think it hurt more that I knew we'd disappointed him. Sure everything's happening fast, but he's still our Father."

"Yeah, it's unbelievable!" Draco agreed. "And we're twins!"

"And Dad actually cares," Harry put in, unconsciously reaching up to touch his cheek where his Father had wiped off the tearstain.

Draco nodded. "Yeah, Dad cares..." He didn't know that their Father was right outside the door, and heard Draco refer to him as 'Dad.'

Severus walked past their room, thinking. Why did they call him Father to his face, and Dad to each other? Or was this a one-time thing? Frowning slightly, he turned and went back to their room. He opened the door. "Harry? Draco?"

Both looked up from where they were still sat on Draco's bed. "Yes Father?" they said together, both knowing that the other, like him, was wondering why Severus was frowning.

"Father?" Severus questioned, raising an eye-brow. Both Harry and Draco looked at him confused.

Severus sat down next to them. "You called me 'Dad' just a moment ago. Why do you call me 'Father' when we're together?"

"You were eavesdropping on us?" Draco blurted out before he thought. "I did not just say that," he then muttered, looking down, ashamed.

"No, I was walking past your down and I heard part of the conversation, Draco," Severus corrected sternly, but he took some of the sting out of his words by ruffling Draco's hair. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"It just seemed proper," Harry told him. "And you did tell us to call you Father, but erm... well... that _was_ at the same time as you told us not to argue about Gryffindor and Slytherin," Harry admitted.

Severus nodded. "I see." He frowned slightly. "You can pick whichever you're more comfortable with," he said finally.

Harry and Draco nodded. "Yes Father," they both said, automatically.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Well, we'll see," was all he said. "Either way is fine." He gave them a quick hug and left the room. Harry and Draco turned to each other.

"I didn't really just say that, did I?" Draco finally asked.

Harry dissolved into laughter. "Sorry to say this, but yep," Harry told him. "Are you trying to get us into more trouble?" he then asked, mock angry but with a grin on his face.

"No," Draco told him. "But what are we going to do about Fath… Erm... Dad… argh! Now I don't even know what to call him!"

"Well, I suppose we could just ask him which one he prefers," Harry suggested.

"But he said he didn't mind," Draco pointed out.

"You could try both," came their Father's amused voice from the doorway.

"How long have you been stood there?" Harry gasped out, only realising just then that Severus hadn't shut the door behind him when he had left the room and had therefore probably heard every word.

Draco, however, smirked. "You know something?" he asked. "That just might be a good idea!"

Harry grinned, playing along. "Hmmm… I wonder why we didn't think of that!"

Severus smirked. "I'm sure I don't know," he said.

Harry and Draco shared a long look, sharing a single thought - should they?

"Ok, what are you two planning?" Severus asked suspiciously, correctly interpreting the look they were sharing.

Harry and Draco shared another look, both masking their faces into innocent expressions, seeming to say 'who us? Would we plan something?' Severus saw right through the act. He simply looked at his two sons and crossed his arms, a slight smile playing on his face. Harry and Draco shared a long look, knowing that if they were going to pull this off, they needed to distract their Father somehow.

"Father?" Harry asked shyly, standing up. Draco sprawled himself on bed, grabbing two pillows and carefully lying down on them.

"Yes Harry?" Severus responded, attempting to keep and eye on what Draco was doing as well, although it didn't seem to be anything suspicious

"Father, did you ever love anyone else after Mum died?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus was completely shocked. Where _had that _question come from? "No," he answered slowly. "It took me a long time to accept the fact of your mother's death, and to face the loss of having to give you two up."

While Harry was speaking with Severus, Draco, ever so slowly, crept up behind his Father, a pillow in his hand. He also somehow managed to get a pillow into Harry's hand. Severus saw this, but was too late to stop the attack before it came. Both boys began attacking Severus vigorously with pillows, grinning and laughing. Despite not having a pillow, Severus was still stronger and he managed to pick both Harry and Draco up, sprawling the three of them across Draco's bed and tickling them mercilessly.

"Dad, stop!" Harry shouted, laughing helplessly. "Dad..." He wriggled out of Severus' reach. Severus grinned, still tickling Draco, despite Harry's attempts to help his twin, it only resulted in Harry being recaptured. Next Draco managed to pull away from Severus, but Harry was still captured. Despite it being two on one, evidently Severus was still winning... Panting breathlessly from all the laughing, Draco watched as Harry still squirmed in their Father's grip. Draco looped him arms round His Father's neck from behind, in an attempt to distract him, only to find himself pulled round so that he was once again next to Harry.

Severus looked down at his sons. "That was a good try, boys," he said lightly.

Draco and Harry glanced at each other. "You're not mad, Father?"

"No," he said, smiling. "That's the first time I've managed to beat someone in a pillow fight... your mother was much better at it, I can tell you!"

Both Harry and Draco still lay panting, once again in their Father's arms. They shared a look, letting Severus know that this was far from other, and the both moved to roll over and off the other side of the bed.

Laughing, Severus walked to the door, and just before he left the room, he said, "Oh, by the way...we're going to have a visitor later."

Harry looked at his twin. "A visitor? I wonder who?" he asked Draco. "Does Father have anyone who's good friends with him at Hogwarts? Would you know?"

Draco looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't know if she's friends with Father or not, but Madam Hooch used to be in Slytherin, she told me."

Harry looked puzzled. "When did she tell you that?" Draco shrugged. "When you went off with McGonagall that day, our first flying lesson, I started making a joke about how you'd be expelled... I wouldn't of if I knew about Father and us, I'm sorry... and Madam Hooch said you wouldn't be, not if she knew Professor McGonagall, and she did, being her only Slytherin friend."

"Wow, cool," Harry said. "And don't worry about it - that lesson got me on the team!"

"I know, Harry," Draco said, grinning. "I hope I get on Slytherin's team. You think I will?"

"You should do!" Harry told him. "But it'll be kind of weird playing against each other."

"Duh," Harry told him. "Of course not… and besides, if Father found out that we'd argued over a Quidditch result I'd be willing to bet that neither of us would be on the House teams!"

Draco snickered. "And," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "there'd probably be no guarantee that we'd be able to get on our brooms, either. Do you think he'd do that at school?"

"Not sure," Harry answered. "Probably, in a way I kind of hope so, you know, so that everything kind of stays the same," Harry explained.

Draco considered this. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Only, it'd be terrible to not be able to sit in class or anything..."

Harry put a hand on his twin's shoulder. "So, we don't get in trouble, then. I can tell you right now that I don't plan on getting any detentions or the like next year!" Harry told him.

Draco nodded. "Yeah, no kidding. I'd rather serve detention with Filch than with Father..."

"Same here, but for some reason I get the feeling that if we get a detention with someone else, one with Father will follow…" Harry trailed off. "And you know what would probably happen then."

"Yeah," Draco said, cringing. He closed his eyes. "At least...at least we know Father loves us," he said finally.

Harry nodded. "Even if he is really strict."

Draco nodded too. "When I lived with... Lucius," he said, finally deciding to refer to the man by his first name, "I didn't know if he loved me or not. I don't suppose he did... Narcissa... seemed to," Draco said.

Harry put a comforting arm around Draco's shoulder's. "I hate to say this, but I think Lucius just wanted a heir."

Draco nodded miserably. "So...what in all hell did those Muggles' do to you?" he said, echoing his words from the first time they found out, now that their Father wasn't in the room to reprimand him.

Severus however, had left the door open again, and although he hadn't heard much of the conversation, his ears had picked up on Draco's language. "Language Draco!" he called out. "I won't tell you again!"

Draco called back "Sorry, Father," and said, "Harry, what did they do to you?"

"Not a lot really," Harry said. "It sounds similar to what you've been through, although they only took me in because they had to."

Draco nodded. "Lucius used to lecture me for hours about being a proper Malfoy, and if I did the slightest thing wrong…" He cringed. Biting his lip, he turned his back to his twin and rolled up his shirt. There were red marks across his back.

Harry nodded. "I know," he said quietly. "I wasn't a member of the family, I was just the slave who lived in the cupboard under the stairs and if I done the slightest thing wrong… well… you know." Draco did know.

Draco looked at his brother sympathetically. "Well, you've got me and Dad now," he said. "Nothing like that will ever happen to us again."

"Luckily," Harry told him. "Coming to Hogwarts was brilliant! And now it looks like we'll be getting to spend the summer here as well!"

Just then, a roar from the fireplace and an alarm going off told them that a visitor had arrived... the one Severus had expected, most likely. Draco glanced at his twin.

"Who's come to see Father?" Draco whispered to Harry. After Severus passed their room and went toward the fireplace, Draco sneaked out into the hallway and listened carefully.

He watched as their short, grey-haired Flying instructor was escorted by their Father toward the kitchen. He darted back into the room. "Harry! Hey, Harry! Madam Hooch came to see Father!" he hissed.

"You are joking me!" Harry hissed back. "This is just too weird!" Harry and Draco decided to go into the kitchen to investigate and to possibly do some teasing.

Madam Hooch however, seemed surprised to see them. "I didn't realise that you were watching over students in the holidays, Severus," she commented.

"Yes," Severus commented neutrally. Harry and Draco fled the room. A minute later Severus heard the door to their room slam.

Draco burst out laughing. "Madam Hooch came to see Dad! This is too perfect! She noticed we were here!"

Harry was more sober. "But she seemed really surprised to see us there," he pointed out. "And she seemed to have no idea that he's our Father!"

"Yeah, well, he'll have to tell her, won't he, he'll have to talk about us! Maybe now there's a chance of me getting on the Quidditch team, wouldn't that be great? I wonder if Father has a broom shed somewhere, I'd like to go practice Quidditch," Draco added, his excitement slowly fading as he dropped into silence.

"Draco, can you please concentrate for a second here!" Harry exclaimed. "Father brushed us off as looking after student's over the holidays! I don't think he plans on telling her…"

Draco sighed. "Sorry. Yeah, I guess you're right...hey, things seem awfully quiet, I wonder what they're doing?"

"I don't know and I don't particularly care," Harry told him. "I can't believe Father done that to us! Come on, let's go for a walk."

Draco shrugged. "Okay." He knew they'd have to pass by the kitchen to get out the door leading out of the quarters, so maybe he could take a look and see what his Father was up to.

Harry grabbed jackets for the two of them and they headed out. Passing the slightly a jar door to the kitchen, they heard the sound of laughter.

Draco could see that Harry was really upset about being brushed off and the more he thought about it, he didn't like the thought either.


	17. The End of an Eventful Day

Harry and Draco ended up staying outside all day, skipping both lunch and tea. It started to drizzle slightly in the evening and yet they still didn't go back inside. When they did go back in they were soaked to the skin, Madam Hooch was gone and their Father was less than impressed.

Harry ignored his Father and stormed straight into the room he shared with Draco, intent on changing into some dry clothes. Draco followed. Two minutes later, Severus entered the room. "Where have you two been!" he demanded.

"Outside, Father," Draco said defiantly.

"I'd kind of guessed that much since you were both soaking wet when you got back," Severus said. "Now do you want to explain what you were doing outside in the rain?"

"Well it was better than staying in here!" Harry shot at his Father.

"Better than being _ignored_,"growled Draco.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Severus asked, trying to keep his temper.

Draco exploded. "Madam Hooch came over and you shut yourself in the kitchen with her, who knows what you were doing but for all we know you could be replacing our mum in your heart!" he blurted out.

"And we're just students your looking after for the summer!" Harry added.

"Yeah!" Draco chimed in. "Is that all we are to you, _Father_?"he emphasized, shooting the question at him with a glare both angry and hurt.

By this point Harry had turned away from his Father and was stood debating whether or not to attempt to leave the room and flee again. Draco saw his Father's eyes narrow into angry slits at these accusations and stepped backward, swallowing hard. He backed into Harry, who turned around and also saw the look on his Father's face and lifted his chin defiantly.

Draco trembled as his Father's eyes flashed angrily. "Draco, I do not tolerate insolence," Severus hissed. "That goes for you too, Harry."

"What about the truth?" Harry asked.

Severus took a deep breath. "How was I supposed to tell Rolanda that you are my sons? No one knew except..." He fell silent.

"Dumbledore and our mum, right?" Draco said.

"You could of at least warned us," Harry said, still defiant. "You want us to trust you and…" Harry trailed off, thinking that that hadn't been the wisest of moves.

"Harry, what did I say about insolence?" Severus asked, his voice a deathly whisper.

Harry trembled and Draco put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You shouldn't scare Harry like that, Father! Did you know what happened to him? To us? We've got scars all over us because of what our so-called families used to do, and you sat back and let it happen!"

Severus visibly restrained himself and then left his sons' room, to collapse on the couch in the front room. Harry collapsed onto his bed, Draco next to him. "This is turning into a nightmare," Harry whispered.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I shouldn't have said anything..." Draco whispered.

"Don't worry about it," Harry told him, still whispering. "I think Dad's really mad at us again though, but it is his fault really. How could he do that to us?"

Draco shook his head. "I don't know but there might be something between Father and Madam Hooch, maybe?"

"I hope not," Harry told him. "_That _would be just too much to accept!"

There was silence for a few minutes. "Do you think we should go and talk to Father?" Harry finally asked.

Draco shrugged. "I suppose so. I wish I hadn't put us in this whole mess...we could be punished again and it's all my fault."

"It's not all your fault!" Harry told him, shocked. "I mouthed off at him too, but we were upset… hopefully he'll understand that."

Draco sighed as he got up. "But I started it. Anyway... yeah, let's go try."

They went into the living room, where Severus was still sat on the couch. "Father?" Harry said gently, half wanting Severus not to hear.

Severus looked up. "Yes?" he asked.

"Father," Draco said, "we're sorry for being insolent, though what we said was really how we felt..." Severus just looked at them calmly, waiting for them to continue. "And we're sorry for staying out all day too," Draco continued after a moments pause. Harry didn't say anything.

Severus didn't say anything for while, and when it was clear that they weren't going to say anything more, he finally spoke. "Harry, Draco, come here," he said, pointing to a spot on the floor in front of him, where they had stood that very morning.

Draco and Harry gulped simultaneously, and obeyed. They looked at their Father. "Yes, Father?" they chorused.

"Do you remember what I said to you this morning?" Severus asked them neutrally.

The twins exchanged a look. "About what, Father?" Harry asked nervously.

"What do you think?" Severus asked, still looking very calm and in control. Harry and Draco, however, where visibly pale. Severus looked sternly at his sons. "The part about me _not tolerating wilful disobedience_?"

Harry and Draco gulped, they had thought it was that part. "Yes Father," they whispered. Harry began to cry, he had a good idea of what was about to happen, especially of the threat that it would be worse next time which their Father had given them that morning. Couldn't they go even a day without getting into trouble? He still didn't think they deserved it though, not that he was going to say anything.

Draco could see Harry crying, yet he didn't sob and his shoulder's didn't shake. He wondered whether their Father could see his brother's tears. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder's, but Harry made no response. He seemed deeply interested in the flooring, and tears where still running down his face.

Draco's movement had alerted Severus that something was wrong and he stood up, taking Harry's chin in his hand. Harry half blinked, half glared at him through his tears and jerked out of his Father's grip, running for his and Draco's room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Both Severus and Draco watched him go. "Go stand in the corner Draco," Severus told his other son, as he opened the door to his sons' room. Draco obeyed. Severus entered the room to see Harry laid face first across his bed, sobbing bitterly. He sat gently down next to him and placed a hand on his head. Severus let Harry cry himself out, gently massaging his scalp. After about ten minutes Harry sat up and turned to look at his Father, taking off his glasses to rub the back of his arm over red swollen eyes.

"Father..." Harry said quietly, "what are you going to do to me?" He looked up at Severus.

"I think maybe you need to tell me what happened just then, before I can decide on that," Severus said softly.

Harry gulped back more tears. "We... were so upset... you treated us like... like we didn't mean anything to you... that's how we felt..." he said softly.

"I think it might be best that for now the rest of the staff didn't know that you and Draco are my sons," Severus said seriously.

"Why?" Harry asked. "Are you ashamed of us?"

Severus gripped Harry's chin tightly, looking him straight in the eyes. "Harry, I will never ever be ashamed of you or your brother!"

"Not even after how we acted tonight?" Harry asked.

Severus sighed. "Well this is partly my fault as well," he admitted.

Harry nodded. "You said that nothing we could do would make you love us any less," he pointed out quietly.

"And it won't," Severus told him. "Yes, their will be times when you get into trouble and I'll be angry or disappointed with you. But it'll never make me love you less."

"Are you still going to punish us Father?" Harry then asked hesitantly.

"No," Severus told him. "This was my fault as much as yours."

Harry smiled at him and wiped his eyes again. Severus went and got a washcloth from the sink in the corner of Harry and Draco's bedroom and for the second time that day cleaned his son up. "Father?" Harry asked hesitantly. "Where's Draco?"

Severus paused for a moment. "Stood in the corner of the living room," he told Harry.

Harry giggled slightly. "You might need to make up to him for that. He despises standing in the corner!"

Harry and Severus went into the living room and although Draco was still in the corner, he was slumped against the wall and muttering to himself. Severus tossed a wink to Harry. "Draco? Do you really think that this is what I meant when I told you to stay in the corner?" Severus asked.

Draco jumped and immediately stood up straight. "Sorry Father," he immediately apologised.

Harry collapsed on the couch in giggles. "That's mean," he told his Father, as Draco turned round to see why Harry was laughing. Harry started to laugh even harder at the look on Draco's face as Severus picked him up and tossed him down on the couch next to Harry.

"No fair!" Draco gasped out, but he didn't protest when his Father pulled him to sit on his knee. Harry snuggled up close to Severus' side and lay his head on his Father's shoulder. Harry let his eyes drift gently close and he heard his Father chuckle.

"Tired Harry?" Severus asked.

"It's been an eventful day," Harry admitted.

"Hmm…" Severus agreed. "And it's just about time for you two to be tucked up in bed."

"But Father!" Draco protested. "It's only quarter to nine, our bedtimes not until half nine."

"Ahh," Severus said. "But you and your brother still need to eat Draco, since you skipped both meals today, something which will not be tolerated in the future. And you need to get changed and wash your face and brush your teeth," Severus told them.

"Yes Father," the both said together, sleepily.

"And besides," their Father added with a slight laugh. " You're both tired."

Severus stood, picking Draco up and taking Harry by the hand. He led them to the kitchen, where food was waiting for them. "We're not eating in the dining room tonight Father?" Draco asked.

"No, you're both too tired, you can just eat this quickly and then get ready for bed," Severus told them as he gave them both some toast and poured them glasses of milk. They both ate sleepily and refused second slices, they were too tired to be hungry and Severus didn't force the matter.

Then Severus cleaned up the kitchen whilst Harry and Draco got changed into their pyjama's, washed their faces and brushed their teeth. Then they climbed into bed, sinking down onto the pillows and closing their eyes, not bothering to blow out the candles. Severus came in, tucked the covers up around them both tighter, smoothed their hair back off their faces and placed a kiss on their foreheads. He then blew out the candles and left the room. Both Harry and Draco were asleep before the door had shut behind him.


	18. Exploring and That Corridor

The next day Harry woke up shivering. Getting out of bed to retrieve a jumper he glanced out the enchanted window which was designed to show what it was like outside, since they were obviously no windows in the dungeons, and saw that it was raining. It was supposed to be summer! Since he was up, Harry decided to get dressed and see whether his Father was up. He was careful not to wake Draco.

Severus was indeed up and he smiled at Harry when he entered the living room. "Is Draco still asleep?" he asked and received a nod from his son. Harry wasn't really sure what to do now, with just him and his Father, so he curled up in an armchair and stared into the fire which his Father had lit.

"Go and wake your brother, Harry, it's time he was up as well. It's time for breakfast." Severus smiled again. Harry went back to their room and shook Draco's shoulder. "Draco! Hey, Draco, get up, breakfast time... come on, Father's waiting."

"Hmm... what? Oh." Draco blinked and sat up. He got dressed in a hurry. Neither of them wanted to make their Father mad. They walked back to where Severus was waiting and then Draco heard the rain. "Oh, no, it's RAINING!" he complained. "I wanted to go outside today!" Harry nodded in agreement. "It's summer, it shouldn't be raining!"

A stern glance from Severus cut them both off. They sat down quietly at the breakfast table and began to eat. "I suppose we could explore the castle instead," Harry suggested. "Sure," agreed Draco. "As long as you're back by lunchtime, I don't have a problem with it," Severus said. "I don't want you missing any meals." The boys nodded. "We'll be back by then," they said, finishing breakfast.

So as soon as breakfast was over Harry and Draco left their quarters and found themselves in the entrance hall. They had been at Hogwarts for a year and yet the realised that they still didn't know much about the castle.

"Where should we go first, Harry?" Draco asked. "You know, I've never seen the Gryffindor common room," he added.

"I have a feeling that we'll get into trouble if we show each other the common rooms. Not that I don't trust you or anything…" Harry trailed off. "But I don't want to get into trouble with Father."

"Well, he doesn't have to know," Draco said, grinning. "Oh yeah, sure," Harry said sarcastically. "And what are we supposed to do, lie to him?" Draco winced.

"Yeah… good point, that didn't go down to well last time…" Draco admitted.

Harry snorted. "That's the understatement of the century. Hey, I wonder where the kitchens are?" he asked. "Any ideas?"

"Not a clue…" Draco said. "But we must look pretty stupid standing here in the entrance hall!"

Harry shrugged. "Let's go _somewhere_ then. I don't know, we could go to the library or something."

Draco snorted. "You've spent way too much time with that Granger."

Harry glared at him. "Leave Hermione alone," he told his brother. " And besides, Father said we had to study for part of the holidays, and I doubt he'll forget that!"

Draco held up his hands in a surrender gesture. "Ok, ok, ok!" he said. "Keep your cool!"

"Yeah, sorry..." Harry apologised. "Maybe the library isn't such a good idea though, there's got to be something better to do!"

Draco grumbled, "If only it weren't raining, I'd say go flying. But that's impossible."

"Yeah, but it is raining," Harry pointed out reasonably.

Draco scowled. "I KNOW THAT!" he yelled. "Merlin, you'd think I was as dumb as Longbottom, the way you're carrying on."

Harry backed off. "Lets not fight again, I don't want to get into anymore trouble with Father!"

Draco sighed. "Sorry."

"No problem, as long as Father doesn't find out!"

"He wont," Draco reassured Harry. Harry looked less than convinced. "But that still leaves us with the problem of where we're going to go…"

By this time they had been stood in the entrance way for about 10 minutes, talking and arguing. Harry sighed. "Come on, lets go this way," he said, starting up the staircase. Draco followed.

"Where are we going, Harry?" Draco asked. "Or are we just going nowhere?"

"Nowhere in particular," Harry answered.

Draco sighed. "What was down that forbidden corridor, anyway? Does anyone know?"

"Erm…" Harry looked at the floor. "Yeah, I kind of know, but we really shouldn't go there! We'd be in so much trouble if we went down there!"

Draco looked at his twin. "Well, what is down there? Tell me."

"A three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor," Harry said bluntly.

Draco's eyes widened. "Oh Merlin... how did you find out, anyway?"

"By accident! And that's nothing compared to what's actually down the trapdoor!"

"Which is?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry sat down on one of the stairs and patted the space next to him, clearly motioning for Draco to sit down. "This could take a while…"

Draco sat. "I'm listening."

"Well, Dad was right… I really do need to work on Herbology. The first thing we encountered was Devil's Snare."

"Bloody hell... Devil's Snare? How in the name of Merlin did you get out of that alive?"

"One word: Hermione!"

Draco arched his eyebrows. "Granger saved your neck... I should have known!"

"Well, who else?" Harry asked. "And she saved Ron's as well!"

Draco snorted. "Well, of course, she saved Weasley's neck. I bet his marks in Herbology are worse than yours."

"Haven't a clue," Harry told him. "But my marks cant have been that bad, because Dad didn't majorly go off and we didn't get into trouble."

Draco nodded. "So what else was there?"

"Enchanted flying keys was next, those things were vicious!" Harry said, trying to sound like it was no big deal.

"Must have been no trouble for you, I suppose... youngest Seeker in a century, I still don't know how come you weren't expelled instead. I'm sure everybody was expecting that."

"Neither was I! I wonder what Dad's reaction was! He was probably having a heart attack!"

Draco grinned. "I bet. His brain was probably about to explode." He laughed. "Was there anything else down there?"

"An enchanted chess set which Ron got us through, although he got himself knocked out in the process," Harry said sobering up, remembering his best-friend lying unconscious on the floor.

Draco looked at his twin. "But Weasley's a good chess player, isn't he? I mean, I've heard him brag about how many times he's beaten Granger, he talks about it in the hallways...why did he get knocked out?" He put a hand on Harry's arm, trying to comfort him.

"He sacrificed himself so me and Hermione could go on and win the game and get to the door at the other side," Harry said.

Draco's eyes widened. "Weasley sacrificed himself?" Being a Slytherin, Draco had never really thought about sacrificing himself for someone else's needs. "What happened then?"

"Me and Hermione had to leave him and carry on! We went through the door at the other side and found a riddle and some potions which dad have obviously set up. Luckily Hermione figured out the riddle…"

"Granger to the rescue again?" Draco grinned. "So then what happened?" he asked quickly.

"I set Hermione back and had to go on alone," Harry told him.

Draco stared. "What... what happened then?" he said, his voice shaking a little for the first time. He'd seen Harry's face pale as Harry thought of what he'd faced.

"Quirrel was in the final room. What the dog and all the enchantments were protecting was the Philosophers Stone! He was trying to get it for Voldemort, he didn't have our inside information. By the way, we'll have a new Defence teacher next year," Harry was shaking slightly, but he was trying to appear strong.

"Quirrell tried to get the stone for You-Know-Who?" Draco asked. His eyes widened. "Why Quirrell?"

"He wanted to help You-Know-Who. You do know what the Philosophers Stone is, right?"

Draco snorted. "Yeah. It's a stone that can make anything turn to gold and make the Elixir of Life. I've heard of it before. But I heard Weasley saying, rather loudly, that he thought Father was after it."

"Yeah, well he was our first guess… he does seem evil when your in Gryffindor!" Harry defended his best friend.

Draco laughed. "Don't let him hear you say that," he muttered.

"Don't worry!' Harry told him. "I'm not that stupid!"

"Oh, I hope not," Draco said, grinning. "After all, we wouldn't want you to be in trouble again, now would we?"

"I don't think either of us want to be in trouble again!" Harry said.

Draco shook his head. "Nope, definitely not," he agreed. "I don't think so."

Harry shuddered. "Definitely not! I much preferred being in Father's good books!"

Draco laughed. "Since when were you ever in Father's good books?" he joked.

Harry stuck his tongue out at his twin. "You haven't been recently either, have you?" he teased.

Draco grinned. "Nope, don't think so."

"Yeah, that's a bit of an understatement! So, where are we going to go?" Harry asked, standing up.


	19. The Mirror

Draco shrugged. "Why don't we go down that corridor and see if they've taken the stuff away yet?" he said mischievously, a glint in his grey eyes. "Unless you're scared."

"I'm not scared, but I'm not going down there! Father would kill us!" Harry said stubbornly.

Draco grinned. "Does he have to know?"

"As I said earlier, what are we supposed to do, lie to him? Not happening Draco, I'm not getting into trouble!" Harry folded his arms and glared at his twin.

"Who says we're going to lie? If he asks, we went exploring. We don't have to tell him where."

"He'd still be able to tell and you know it!" Harry protested.

Draco sighed. "Fine, fine. Why don't we...oh, I don't know...try and find out what's in McGonagall's office or something?"

Harry dissolved into laughter. "Will you please try to come up with a suggestion that wont get us into trouble please?"

"And I thought you lived for trouble," Draco said, in a fairly accurate impression of their Father's voice. Then he dissolved into laughter as well.

Harry also laughed. "Please don't do that again!" Harry requested. 'that's just too scary!" He mock punched his brother on the arm.

Draco mock punched Harry's arm back. "Five points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all," he mocked, grinning.

"And five points from Slytherin for mistaking me for Hermione! I'm highly insulted!" Harry joked.

Draco doubled over in laughter. "Well, it is an easy mistake to make," he commented. Harry just glared at his twin, or attempted to glare, it was difficult when he was smiling. Draco gave him one more grin before taking off down the corridor at a run. Harry pursued him. "You take that back right this instant!" he yelled at his twin. Draco's only answer was laughter.

After a good ten minutes of running through the halls and laughing, Harry and Draco finally sat down on another set of steps, panting breathlessly. They were in an area of the castle they only briefly knew.

"Where are we, anyway, Harry?" Draco asked. "I think I've been around here before, but I don't really recognize the place..."

"Not sure," Harry answered, standing up. "Want to explore?" Without waiting for an answer he opened one of the doors on the corridor. "Looks like an unused classroom."

Draco poked his head inside. "Yeah...unused...I wonder what could be in here, anyway?" He walked inside and began to look around. "Hey, Harry, what's this?"

Harry looked at his twin. "Haven't a clue…"

Draco stared at the object, draped in a white sheet, and looked up. It was taller than he was. He pulled the sheet off. Before him stood a mirror...

Harry didn't quite stifle a gasp. "Oh boy…" he trailed off.

Draco turned to his twin. "What is it, Harry?" he asked curiously.

Harry was, however, already backing towards the door. "I don't think we should be in here Drake. We're going to get in trouble!" he sounded panicky.

"Where's your Gryffindor courage, Harry?" Draco asked, teasing. "Is something the matter? What's this mirror, anyway?" He looked into it, and gasped. He saw his Father standing arm in arm with a red-haired woman he didn't recognize, her stunning green eyes nearly blinding him...and he was standing in front of them, Harry next to him. At least, he was pretty sure it was them...the mirror seemed to be a bit hazy, he couldn't really make out their features...he wondered if that had anything to do with the charms placed on them.

Harry stifled a sigh. "ok, what do you see!" he demanded.

Draco turned to him. "I see...Father and a woman with red hair, standing together," he said slowly. "And us...at least I think it's us, I can't really tell, maybe the mirror's fogged up? Why?"

"You see us with mum and dad?" Harry asked, remembering that the first time he had looked in the mirror he had saw his mum and James Potter, back when he had thought that James Potter was his Father and when he hadn't known that Draco was his twin.

Draco looked at him. "Is that Mum?" he asked quietly. "I thought it had to be...but I wasn't sure..." He choked back tears. So that was his mum...their mum...he wondered what it would be like if the mirror showed truth...if they could have all been alive together. "Harry, what do you know about this mirror, anyway?" Draco demanded. "Sounds like you've seen it before!"

"Yeah I have," Harry admitted quietly. "And I promised Professor Dumbledore that I wouldn't go looking for it again!" Harry said and left the room at a very quick pace. By the time Draco followed him Harry was sat halfway down the stairs at the other end of the corridor. Draco sat down next to his twin.

"You didn't go looking for it, Harry," Draco pointed out. "You just found it. That's not the same thing." He lay a hand on his brother's arm. "Hey...what did you see before? This was before you knew that Father was our dad, right?"

"Which time?" Harry asked, receiving a shocked look from Draco.

"You've seen it more than once?" Draco asked. "How many times?"

"About four," Harry told him, dully.

Draco's eyes widened. "Wow..." Then he looked at his twin more closely. "What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry just shook his head, not trusting his voice if he spoke. Draco shifted closer to Harry on the step and wrapped his arm around his twins shoulders, not at all sure of what was going on. Harry gave a little sigh. "I suppose you could say the last time I saw the mirror it helped me to defeat Quirrell..." he admitted quietly. Draco just gaped at him.

"What?" he asked shakily.

"You don't know what that mirror is, do you?" Harry asked.

Draco shook his head. "No, I don't know what it is. Do you?"

Harry nodded. "Professor Dumbledore explained it to me. It's the Mirror of Erised."

Draco stared. "The Mirror of what?"

"Spell it backwards," Harry said with a laugh

Draco took a minute to think. "Desire?"

"Uh huh," Harry confirmed.

Draco considered this. "So...the mirror shows...our desires?"

"Uh huh," Harry said again.

"Hmm..." Draco fell silent, thinking. "Would it have showed what we really looked like if I'd wished to see that?"

"I doubt it," Harry said. "It doesn't show the truth… nor the future… And besides, we're not going back in there to find out!"

"What time is it now, anyway?" Draco asked finally, after staring straight ahead and not saying anything for about a minute.

Harry looked at his watch and paled. "Err… Draco?" he asked.

Draco looked up. "What?" he said, a little nervous at his brother's tone of voice.

"I don't know what we've been doing but it's half one and we still have to get back - we've so completely missed lunch!" Harry practically yelped.

"That's not good," Draco gasped, racing for the dungeons. "We are SO dead..."


	20. Trouble Again?

Harry was right on his brothers heels and it took them a good fifteen minutes to get back to the dungeons. When they finally fell through the door together in a breathless heap, it was Harry who first realised that they had a visitor. "Tom!" he yelped out in surprise.

"Tom?" Draco asked, and he looked up. Sure enough, it was Tom who stood there. "Hello, Tom..." he said quietly, trailing off. He wondered where their Father was.

Tom suppressed a chuckle at the sight that the two boys made. "Harry, Draco," is what he said instead. "I'm guessing that you're running slightly behind schedule," he commented lightly.

Draco turned pink at this comment. "Yes," he admitted in a low voice.

Severus walked out of the kitchen. "There you two are," he said in a neutral tone of voice.

Draco nodded. "Hello, Father," he said. Harry offered a weak smile and was worried when his Father didn't return it.

Draco swallowed hard. He hoped they weren't in a lot of trouble, but he was sure that they were, knowing how much their Father expected them to be on time for meals.

"Harry, Draco, why don't you two go and get cleaned up?" Severus asked and Harry and Draco gratefully fled to their bedroom.

"How much trouble do you think we're in?" Draco whispered fearfully.

"I'm not sure," Harry whispered back as he went over to the wash basin which stood in the corner of their room. "I wish Father wasn't so strict though," Harry turned on the tap and wet the washcloth. Half a minute later Severus entered the room and both Harry and Draco spun round to face him, looking nervous. Severus crossed his arms and leaned casually against the closed door, looking at his two sons, who were nervously shifting from foot to foot and refusing to look him in the eye.

Severus strode forward and looked directly at Harry. "Would you mind explaining where you and your brother have been?" Harry backed away as far as he could and looked towards Draco for help. He did not want to mention the mirror! "Harry?" Severus asked again, taking in his sons panicked look. Severus reached forward and gently cupped Harry's chin in his hand as he went to look away. Harry swallowed Harry as he looked at his Father. "It's not a difficult question, Harry. Where have you and you're brother been?" Severus asked again. Harry still didn't answer and Severus was starting to lose his patience. "Harry, please answer the question," Severus requested again, this time with a slight hiss in his voice. Harry once again looked over towards Draco, who was watching with wide eyes. "No, not Draco, Harry, you answer the question please."

"Exploring, Father," Harry managed to stutter out, trying to get his chin out of Severus' grasp unsuccessfully.

"Any particular reason as to why you were late?" Severus asked, leaving lose of Harry's chin to hold his shoulder. Harry paled as he felt his Father hold his shoulder... nothing good had ever come out of that manoeuvre before!

"Father?" Draco questioned from behind them both. Severus looked at his son, who was almost as pale as his twin.

"Yes Draco?" he answered.

"We lost track of time, ok!" Draco finally exploded. "We didn't mean to and we're sorry!"

"Keep that tone of voice in check please, young man," Severus requested sternly.

"Sorry, Father," Draco muttered.

"Draco…" Severus growled warningly. Draco gulped.

"I'm sorry Father," Draco said again, this time a lot more politely.

"Sorry for what, Draco?" Severus asked calmly. Draco looked at his Father, very confused. "Draco?" Severus asked again.

"For both being late and for speaking rudely to you," Draco answered in a whisper.

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry for being late too, Father," he whispered.

Severus looked between his two sons and sighed. "What am I going to do with you two?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Father," he said quietly.

"Well neither do I," Severus said fondly, giving Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Draco pondered whether to tell his Father about the mirror and what he'd seen. He wondered what his Father would say...

"Draco?" Severus questioned lightly. "What you thinking about over there?" he asked kindly.

Draco looked up. He knew better than to lie to his Father. "Um...something we saw when we were looking around..." he said. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling everything, either.

Severus just raised an eyebrow and looked at Draco, waiting for him to continue.

Draco quickly glanced at Harry. What would his twin say if he told about the mirror?

Harry offered Draco a half shrug, forgetting that his Father's hand was still on his shoulder. He didn't particularly see a way out of this now.

Severus gave both of them one last long look. "Clean yourself up and I expect you out in the living area in two minutes!" he finally ordered. "And I expect you to apologise to Tom as well."

"Yes Father," both Harry and Draco whispered together.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco said. "I didn't mean to mention the mirror, but I couldn't lie to him…"

"It's ok," Harry reassured him. "But I have the feeling that we're really going to get it once Tom goes home. Can't we even go one day without getting into trouble?"

Draco shrugged and he washed his face. "Come on, we'd better get out there before we get into even more trouble!"

Harry nodded, dried his face and followed his twin. In the living area Severus and Tom where sat on opposite ends of the couch. Harry and Draco walked hesitantly over to them and stood nervously in front of the couch. Severus gave them a glare, yet neither spoke. "Tom? I believe Harry and Draco have something to say to you," Severus told him. Tom looked at the twins expectantly.

Draco gulped and Harry took a deep breath. "We're sorry we were late today and kept you waiting," Harry said, barely above a whisper and keeping his eyes looked on the floor.

"And we're sorry for fighting and causing you trouble when we were at your house," Draco said, mainly as an afterthought.

"Something which I can assure you they have been punished for," Severus spoke up and Harry and Draco both cringed, both flushing slightly red.

Tom gave the twins a good natured grin. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Boys will be boys, and they've had a lot to take in." He stood up and ruffled their hair.

Harry managed a weak smile at Tom, but he was feeling very fragile… he couldn't work out if he and Draco were in major trouble, and the possibility of having a punishment hanging over his head was draining him. Tom noticed that both Harry and Draco looked pale, but Harry looked worse off and he couldn't resist pulling the boy into a small hug. "Don't let him chew you out over being late," Tom whispered, just loud enough for Severus to hear as well. "It's not really that important, it's the holidays after all - just make sure it doesn't happen too often!"

Draco giggled and Tom left loose of Harry and pulled him into a light hug. Harry stood watching them and looked at Severus who was still sitting on the couch. He approached the couch rather hesitantly when Severus held out an arm for him and allowed himself to be pulled close to his Father's side. "What am I going to do with you and your brother, hmmm, Harry?" Severus murmured.

"I don't know, Father," Harry answered honestly, leaning against Severus. He closed his eyes and thought. Harry hoped they weren't going to be punished again, but they kept getting into trouble...

Severus lightly rested his cheek on top of Harry's head. "Well what do you think I should do with you both, hmmm? Do you think I'd be able to live without you both?" Harry shrugged lightly. "I'd never be able to live without you or your brother Harry," Severus told him.

"Even when we keep getting into trouble?" Harry asked in a whisper, yet he hadn't failed to notice Tom and Draco whispering about something together.

Severus chuckled. "Getting into trouble is part of growing up," Severus commented lightly.

"It's starting to seem like we're always in trouble lately. Are you going to punish us for being late Father?" Harry shifted in his Father's arms so he could look him in the eyes. Severus looked thoughtful. "We didn't mean to be late," Harry ventured quietly.

"That doesn't change the fact that you were late though, does it Harry?" Severus asked.

"No Father," Harry responded dully.

Severus gently stroked Harry's cheek and Harry lay his head against his father's chest. "Dad?" he asked.

"Yes?" Severus responded, hiding his surprise.

"Why _do_ we keep getting into trouble?" Harry asked.

"Because you're growing up," Severus said lightly, "Just make sure you're not in trouble too often."

"Ok," Harry murmured, keeping his head on his Father's chest, but also wrapping a tight arm around his Father's waist. "What do you think Draco and Tom are whispering about?" he then asked quietly. Severus looked towards his other son and Tom, noting that they were indeed whispering about something and that Tom was crouched slightly, with his arm around Draco's shoulders.

Tom was the one who noticed Severus and Harry watching them and he began walking Draco over to the sofa, sitting down and pulling Draco to sit next to him. Tom offered Harry another warm smile. Harry smiled back shyly, suddenly aware that he was eleven years old and sat in his Father's lap… true he hadn't known that Severus was his father for long… but still.

Harry squirmed slightly, embarrassed and tried to slip off Severus' lap, but his Father caught his around the waist and easily held him still. Draco shot him a look of slight jealousy. Severus caught the look.

"What was that look, Draco?" Severus asked quietly. Draco refused to look his father in the eye. Severus arched his eyebrows. "Draco, look at me." Draco did so very reluctantly, very aware that Tom was witnessing what was happening. Severus spoke calmly and quietly. "Draco, please tell me what's going on." Draco looked down again, he couldn't answer.

"Draco, obey your Father," Tom said quietly, shocking all three, Harry, Severus and Draco. Draco looked at him, shocked.

Severus was firm. He wanted to know what was bothering his son. "Draco, for the last time, what is the matter? Tell me."

Draco felt ganged up on, both his father and Tom were having a go at him, and Harry wasn't offering any support.

"Father, what if Drake doesn't want to tell you?" Harry burst out, glaring. He didn't want Draco to think he was alone in this. They were brothers, after all. Twins.

"Harry..." Severus said warningly.

"But Father…" Harry protested. He fell short at a glare from his Father, sitting on the man's knee or not. Draco gave Harry a sympathetic glance. He was glad Harry was sticking up for him, but it looked like they were headed for more trouble because of it.

Harry sighed, laying his head back on his Father's chest, taking the man by surprise. "Dad? You'll never love one of us more than the other, right?" Harry asked, deciding that he didn't care whether or not Tom was there.

Severus looked down at his son. "Is that what you thought, Harry? No, I would never love one of you more than the other," Severus reassured him.

"I think it was more of what Drake was thinking," Harry admitted quietly, shooting a glance at his twin which clearly said 'I'm sorry!'

"Is it, Drake?" Severus turned to Draco. Draco looked down and nodded slowly. Severus shook his head. "Rest assured, Draco, I love both you and Harry equally." Draco nodded, catching Harry's glance and mouthing back, "It's okay."

Draco was shocked to find a pair of arms embrace him and it took him a second to figure out it had to be Tom. Tom smiled at Draco. "Draco, when your Father says he loves you, he means it."

"Yeah…" Draco agreed quietly. "But you told me to obey him just then as well…" Draco looked a bit put out, he hadn't seen Tom as the strong disciplinarian type like his father.

"Draco, you need to obey… and you need to know that I wont tolerate disobedience, just like your father won't," Tom explained gently.

Draco looked at Tom nervously. "But...you didn't tell Father about..." he began, thinking of the fights he and Harry had whilst at Tom's house. Of course, their Father had found out anyway and the consequences hadn't been pleasant at all, but still, Tom had covered for them...

"About what, Draco?" Tom asked, even though he knew full well what they were talking about, and that Severus did as well.

"Father found out anyway," Harry spoke up, "So you don't have to keep on covering for us, but thanks anyway," he added as an afterthought.

Tom nodded. "You're welcome, although I was fairly certain your Father would find out. He has his ways, you know."

"Such as?" Draco asked, eagerly.


	21. Confused

Tom exchanged a glance with Severus, a silent question as to whether he ought to tell the boys about Occlumency and Legilimency. Severus shook his head lightly. Tom thought on his feet. "Well, you two are pretty bad liars, and you respect him so much that you can't really lie to him," Tom said. "But Severus has to be careful not to mistake fear for respect."

"That can happen?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded, surprising everyone else. "I know it can. Er... Lucius... thought I respected him, when I was just afraid of him," he said softly.

"Oh," Harry said quietly, he'd always been scared of his relatives, but he had never respected them either.

A silence hung in the air for a few minutes, a silence which Harry wasn't exactly comfortable with and he began to chew nervously on his bottom lip. Draco caught his eye and the two shared a long look, both wondering why Tom was there at all, and if they were going to eat, their Father had said, after all, that he wasn't going to tolerate them skipping meals.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to twins," Tom suddenly said, breaking the silence. Harry, Draco and Severus just looked at him confused. "I don't know what you two are looking so confused about," he told Harry and Draco mock-defensively. "You two just look at each other and it's clear you understand what the other is thinking and you can practically have a whole conversation by just changing you're facial expressions slightly!"

"Oh," both Harry and Draco said together, sharing another look.

"There you go again!" Tom told them.

"We know," they said, still speaking at the same time.

"And that as well…" Tom started on.

"We don't mean to speak together!" Harry and Draco protested at the same time. "It just sort of happens…" they too trailed off.

Severus cleared his throat. "Well, both of you need to eat, despite missing lunch, so you shall eat, but we need to discuss this further," he said.

Harry and Draco shared yet another look. 'Discuss what?' they were silently asking each other.

Severus noticed their look and was fairly sure what the silent question was. "Discuss your lateness," he said promptly.

Harry, after his recent conversation with his Father, felt dismayed. So they were going to be punished after all… Well, his Father had never said they weren't... Draco too looked panicked.

Tom exchanged a look with Severus. Then he turned to the boys. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "I don't think your Father means to punish you." Both Harry and Draco looked at him disbelieving and this time they didn't have to look at each other to know that the other had the exact same look on his face.

"Harry, Draco…" Severus said gently.

"Yes Father?" they both whispered together, neither looking at him, both knowing that they'd probably be told to.

"Why don't we get you something to eat first," Tom interrupted smoothly, "and then your Father can discuss your behaviour with you," he finished. Severus shot him a look.

Tom ignored the look and Harry and Draco looked from Severus to Tom confused - who were they supposed to obey? They shared another look, but Tom and Severus weren't paying any attention to them. 'Now what?' Draco mouthed. Harry shrugged lightly. He was still sat on his Father's lap and if he moved it would surely draw his Father's attention.

"Well, I'll have the house-elves put out lunch for the two of you. Go sit down at the table," Severus commanded in a calm voice. "When you're done eating, we'll talk." He looked down at Harry, then over at Draco. "Go on."

Harry and Draco obediently went into the dining room, although they left the door open just enough so that they'd be able to hear what was going on in the sitting room. Harry slumped down in his chair with a small sigh. "This is starting to get confusing," he whispered.

"What is?" Draco asked in a whisper.

"This whole who do we obey thing and are we in trouble or not," Harry clarified, careful to keep his voice down. "And I'm not hungry, I'm too nervous to eat."

"Same here… but if we don't…" Draco left the sentence hanging.

"I know," Harry said. "Why do we keep getting into trouble? Is it going to be that hard for us to stay out of trouble for one day?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know."

"Father says it's because we're still growing up… but it's not like we've done much exactly! And this whole Tom thing is just plain confusing!" Harry said.

Draco nodded, biting hungrily into a sandwich, chewing and swallowing it before deciding that he couldn't eat any more. He was hungry, but he wasn't sure if he could keep anything else down... he was too nervous.

Harry didn't even touch his own sandwich. "I think Father's idea to talk before we ate was a better one," he said quietly.

Draco nodded. "Yeah. Father seems to listen to what Tom says though..." he said.

"Don't forget that Tom's Voldemort, Drake," Harry told his twin.

Draco slapped his forehead. "Oh. Yeah. Father's _used_ to listening to Tom... of course..."

"Yeah… but who do we listen to? I mean, if they contradict each other?" Harry asked.

Draco shook his head. "I don't know. I'm still kind of scared of Tom, but I think we're supposed to listen to Father...you know, because he's our Father," Draco reasoned.

"Yeah… but even Father obeys Tom…" Harry pointed out.

Draco nodded. "Well, when I thought I was a Malfoy, Lucius talked all the time about Tom...only he called him the Dark Lord, you know…"

"What did he say about him?" Harry asked curious.

"He said that "Potter would pay for stopping the Dark Lord"...Draco gave his twin a look. "I was brought up to think you were the enemy, you know, except I was supposed to try and be friends with you in public, but I'm glad I'm not a Malfoy. I hated it."

"I wouldn't know…" Harry said quietly. "I mean, I don't know what it's like to be a Potter… I'm not even sure what it means to be a Snape," He admitted quietly.

"Me either," Draco said, idly picking at his sandwich. "But I'm sure we'll find out."

Harry pushed his plate with his uneaten sandwich on it away from him, towards the centre of the table. "Want to go out and talk to Dad and Tom yet?" he asked his twin.

Draco tore the crust off his sandwich distractedly. "And what exactly do we say when Father asks us if we've eaten?" he asked.

"We tell Dad the truth," Harry said simply. "That we want to talk before we eat because we're too nervous to eat."

"You think he'll buy that?" Draco asked sceptically.

"He should do, considering it's the truth," Harry said.

"Good point," Draco said, standing up. "Well, you first," he grinned, motioning Harry towards the door.

Harry, not feeling very confident anymore, opened the door further and stepped out. "Dad?" he said quietly.

Severus looked at him from where he was sat on the couch with Tom. "That was quick," he commented mildly.

"We couldn't eat," Harry admitted quietly, looking at the floor.

"Case of a guilty stomach is it?" Severus asked mildly.

"Kind of," Harry answered, knowing that it wasn't an exact lie.

"Care to explain?" Severus asked, beckoning both Harry and Draco closer, since they were still stood in the doorway to the dining room.

Harry and Draco somewhat reluctantly moved forward, when Tom spoke. "You have no reason to fear your Father," he said gently and it was Harry who looked at him, shocked, he didn't like how this man seemed to know what he was thinking all the time.

"Harry?" Severus drew his son's attention back to himself.

"What did you want to talk about Father?" Harry asked quietly, although he met Severus' gaze square on, he was learning.

"Father?" Severus asked. "You called me Dad a moment ago Harry… I'm still not sure why you two both keep changing what you call me."

"Father always seems more proper," Harry admitted.

"So you've said before," Severus told him with an easy grin. "Am I really that scary? Proper?" he then asked. Harry just shrugged helplessly, he didn't know how to answer that question.

"I don't know," Harry finally admitted. "But you know, having you as our Professor, we were supposed to refer to you respectfully, and now..." He closed his mouth abruptly, thinking of all the times he'd referred to his father as "Snape" instead of "Professor Snape". Severus laughed softly.

"You wanted to talk to us about something, Dad?" Harry asked, gaining confidence and giving his Father a cheeky grin.

Severus just shook his head and sat back against his sofa, stretching his legs out. He motioned to his sons and then to the floor, causing Draco and Tom to give him very confused looks, but Harry got the idea and flopped down to the floor to sit near his Father's legs and then looked at Draco, expecting him to do the same. Draco complied and sat down. He looked up at Severus.

"So, what do you think I want to talk to you about?" Severus asked.

Harry barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. "About us being late," he stated matter-of-factly, causing Draco to give him a shocked look, he didn't know how his twin could be so brave.

"What about you being late?" Severus then asked.

"Erm… not to do it again?" Harry offered, with yet another grin.

"Well, you don't want to do it again, no," Severus said calmly.

"Because the next time there'll be consequences?" Harry asked, shrewdly.

Severus' eyes glittered. "You said it, Harry, I didn't," he commented lightly.

"It'd still be true no matter who said it though, wouldn't it?" Harry said, leaning back to rest on his hands and looking up into his Father's eyes. Harry then thought for a moment. "What kind of consequences?" he then asked, now a bit more hesitant.

"What do you think? Drake?" Severus asked. Draco just shrugged.

Harry thought on his feet. "Not being allowed out again?" he suggested, almost hopefully.

"Well, that is one option," Severus said.

Draco nodded. "It seems better than...you know...that all the time."

Severus raised an eye-brow. "That is of course always another option if I feel you deserve it," Severus commented neutrally. "I wouldn't suggest being late too many times in a row or if I've asked you to be specifically back."

Harry nodded numbly. "Okay, Father," he whispered.

Severus sighed. "What's wrong Harry?" he asked.

"Specifically back like you told us to be today?" Harry asked quietly. Draco gulped. He didn't like where this was going.

"Indeed, why do you ask?" Severus looked down at Harry, who stubbornly looked at the floor.

Harry shrugged lightly. "No particular reason," he muttered.

Draco glanced at his twin. He knew Harry was tired of being punished the same way so often. He was too, and he didn't know what they could do about it, if anything.

Harry met his twins look, and whilst what he knew what his twin was thinking was true… there was also something else. A nagging feeling in his stomach. He knew what it was, but he really didn't want to voice it.

"Harry?" Severus pressed. Harry shook his head. He still felt guilty, but he wasn't going to say that. He'd just found out that he had a father and now he kept getting into trouble. And he didn't want to be punished… did he? But he was willing to do almost anything to get rid of the guilty feeling in his stomach and go back to the way he had been joking with his Dad only minutes before.

Harry looked up. "Can I be excused, please, Father?" he asked, desperately wanting the safety of his and Draco's room for a while.

Severus looked like he didn't want Harry to go, but in the end he nodded. "Yes, go ahead," he said quietly.

Harry jumped up and fled to his and Draco's room and Draco watched him go, suddenly remembering that Tom was sat on the couch with his Father. He looked back towards them and shrunk back as both looked at him, but he was motioned towards the couch and pulled to sit in between them, his Father's arms around his shoulders. "Are you okay?" Severus asked him quietly.

Draco nodded. "I'm worried about Harry though," he admitted quietly.

"What do you think is up with him then?" Tom asked. "He seemed fine one minute and not the next."

Draco nodded. "He was really scared when we were in the dining room and then when we came out here he was fine," he said.

Meanwhile, in Harry and Draco's room, Harry couldn't hear any of the conversation because he was laid face-first over his bed with his arms over his head. He had never felt more confused in his life.

"Someone needs to talk to him, alone," Draco said.

Severus got up, "Well, it should be me then," he said. "I can leave you two in here without you destroying the place, right?" Tom looked back at him innocently and put his arm around Draco's shoulders, where Severus' had been only moments before.


	22. Explanations of a Sort

Severus entered his sons' room and sat gently down by Harry, gently removing Harry's arms from over his head and laying a hand on his own hand on Harry's head. "Come on now," Severus soothed gently. "What's wrong? You were fine a few minutes ago." Harry just shook his head, knocking his Father's hand off his hair.

"Nothing," he said. "Just leave me alone."

"It is obviously not nothing, Harry," Severus said. "And you know I don't tolerate lying." Harry flinched. He seemed to be getting into more and more trouble, and he felt bad enough already.

"I'm sorry, ok?" Harry whispered. "But sorry doesn't seem to be good enough," he admitted.

Severus frowned and he reached down and pulled Harry up so that the lad was sitting next to him. "Why wouldn't sorry ever be good enough?" He questioned gently.

"Because it doesn't change anything and anyone can say sorry and not mean it!" Harry burst out.

"But you do mean it," Severus said gently.

"Doesn't mean I don't still feel guilty," Harry admitted, ashamed, looking down at the floor.

"Ah," Severus said lightly. "So that is what this is all about."

Harry shrugged. "I don't like feeling like I've let you down Dad; I've only just got you!"

"And you're not going to lose me," Severus said, pulling him into a hug.

"I've still let you down though," Harry said. "And then I went and lied to you, how can I be so stupid!"

"Harry, you aren't stupid," Severus said. "You're young."

"Then why do I still feel guilty? Please make it stop Dad, I really am sorry," Harry said, leaning against his Father.

"What do you want me to do, Harry?" Severus asked gently. He ruffled Harry's black hair.

"I don't know, I just don't want to feel guilty anymore, Dad!" Harry said.

Severus shook his head. "I don't know what to say then," he said softly. He fell silent.

"Please, Dad!" Harry practically begged, "You must be able to do something, anything, I don't know, punish me," he babbled.

Severus arched his eyebrows. "You _want_ me to punish you?" he said.

"Anything to stop me feeling so guilty," Harry said quietly. "I don't like feeling that I've let you down!"

"You haven't," Severus said gently.

"But we were late when you'd told us not to be and then I went and lied to you!" Harry protested.

Severus sighed. "You know I'm a strict man Harry," he said softly. Harry gulped. "I expect the best out of you and Draco and will probably seem harsh at times."

"But it doesn't mean you don't love us," Harry said quietly. "Like you explained yesterday, there's a difference between being hit and a few swats, I think I'm beginning to see that now."

"Really?" Severus asked.

"Yeah," Harry said quietly. "Being hit kind of isn't just because you've done something wrong, kind of, even if it means you don't do something again, it wasn't designed to teach you a lesson. I'm not explaining this very well… Say, like if I'd done something wrong and the Dursleys hit me for it, they're hitting me because they're annoyed with me, where as if I did something wrong and you gave me a swat for it, it was to teach me a lesson and to let me know that you're annoyed with my behaviour, right?" Severus placed a gentle kiss on Harry's forehead.

"Exactly right," he said, "I'm glad you understand the difference."

Harry smiled at his Father, feeling suddenly shy. "Even if you are strict, you only want what's best for me and Drake," he said quietly. "And I really am sorry for being late, we didn't mean to. And I'm sorry for lying to you as well… I know you don't tolerate lying, but I wasn't thinking straight at the time."

Severus pulled his son into a hug. "I accept your apology, Harry," he said softly. "I know you weren't thinking."

Harry sighed. "I just wish I'd stop feeling so guilty, I know you forgive me, right? I just can't seem to accept that fact somehow, it just seems too easy."

"Well, how about a little bit of time to reflect on what's gone on then?" Severus suggested innocently, a little too innocently for Harry's liking.

"Dad?" he questioned quietly.

"I have a feeling you'd benefit for a little time spent studying the corner Harry," Severus told him. "You know I don't tolerate lying and I told you to be back on time today."

"Yes dad," Harry said meekly, looking at the only available corner in his and Draco's room. He was going to be left alone in here again.

"I think perhaps out in the living room would suit better? That way I can keep an eye on you," Severus suggested lightly.

"Yes dad," Harry said again and stood up, as did Severus and he lay a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Severus gave Harry a hug before they went back out to the living room. Once Harry was situated in the corner, Severus sat down next to Tom and Draco again. Draco shot a shocked look at his Father, who merely ruffled his hair. "Don't worry," he told the boy. "Just be grateful you're not stood in the other corner!"

Draco nodded slowly. He looked at the ground. "What are you going to do to me, then, Father?" he asked meekly. Surely their father wouldn't just let Draco off while punishing Harry... or maybe he would, Draco thought, remembering how things used to be before knowing he was their father.

"Come here, you," He told Draco in a gentle voice and grabbed him in a half headlock, half hug. "I was teasing you young idiot!"

"Father, I'm not an idiot," Draco mumbled, hurt. He thought his Father thought more highly of him than that.

Severus now placed a kiss on Draco's forehead. "I know," he soothed. "I meant that affectionately, we still need to get to know each other a lot better, huh?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah." He glanced over to where Harry was still standing obediently in the corner, unmoving. "Is Harry going to be ok, Dad?" Draco asked.

"He'll be fine," Severus soothed, also looking across at his other son. He could tell that Harry was deep in thought.

"Are you sure, Dad?" Draco whispered.

"Yes," Severus answered. "Trust me."

"What's he thinking about?" Draco wondered out loud.

"I'm sure he'll tell you later, if you ask," Severus said.

"How long does he have to stay there, Dad?" Draco whispered.

"Really, I didn't feel like punishing Harry," Severus said in a low voice. "He asked me to... so whenever he feels like he's had enough, he can come back."

Draco gaped at his father. "He asked you to?"

Severus nodded. "I couldn't believe it either, but he did."

"Erm… you might need to tell him he can leave the corner any time he wants to, you know," Draco suggested quietly.

Severus chuckled. "Good point." He walked over to Harry and gently whispered into his son's ear. Harry gave a brief nod of acknowledgement and Severus walked back to the couch, a worried smile on his face, which increased when he noticed Draco fidgeting nervously.

Severus sat back down on the couch without saying anything and put his arm back around Draco's shoulders, pulling his son in close. "Now what's up with you?" he asked, concerned. He hadn't realised just how much trouble raising twin 11-year-old boys could be. He still had a lot to learn.


	23. Draco's Thoughts

Ok, I'm really sorry, but I've moved out of home to go to uni andI haven't had internet access which is why this story hasn't been updated in absolutely forever!

* * *

Draco cuddled up as close as he could to his Father, without actually climbing into the man's lap. Draco curled one leg up beneath him and lay his head on his Father's shoulder. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip. 'Why didn't he feel guilty for being late yet Harry did? Was there something wrong with him?' He closed his eyes against tears and he hoped his Father couldn't see that he was almost crying.

Severus gently tapped a finger on Draco's head and Draco cracked one eye open, immediately squeezing it shut again as a tear leaked out. Severus done the only thing he could think of and gathered his son into his lap.

Tom looked on silently, quite glad that he wasn't the one who had to raise both Harry and Draco. In a way he was jealous of Severus, he had two great sons who had accepted him as a Father very quickly, probably because they were both desperate for Father figures in their lives, but raising twins was definitely going to be a full time job, especially when they were as confused as Harry and Draco were. Tom was willing to bet that if they weren't feeling so confused and mixed up right now, they would never willing sit in Severus's lap.

"Draco, you need to tell me what's wrong," Severus probed gently. "I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Draco shook his head. "Nothing's wrong," he muttered. "And I don't need help!"

"Draco…" Severus warned him. Between Harry being confused and the worry that had caused him, and the worry when the twins had been late and stressing at Tom, he was coming to the end of his patience. Draco stubbornly remained silent and Severus sighed, causing Draco to look at him slightly worriedly.

Harry turned around from the corner he was standing in and looked on at the scene worriedly and also felt slightly jealous - now he knew how Draco had felt when he was the one sitting on Dad's knee. Tom spotted Harry and stood up without Draco or Severus noticing - they were deeply involved in what appeared to be a staring contest - and walked over to Harry.

In the end, Draco looked down, not being abler to hold the intense gaze of his father. Why did his Father think he needed help! He'd always managed alright on his own before!

"What's the matter, Drake?" Severus asked.

"Nothing!" Draco replied, exasperated.

"I thought I told you I don't tolerate lying, Draco. Do you wish to find yourself in the other corner?" Severus asked, a hint of steel creeping into his voice. He really was worried about Draco, but he was frustrated with Draco's refusal to tell him nothing, too.

Draco glanced over to the corner, where Harry and Tom were now talking and shook his head. "No Father," he whispered.

"Then tell me what's wrong," Severus insisted.

This time it was Draco who sighed. "Fine!" he huffed. "I was just wondering why Harry felt guilty about being late when I didn't, but it doesn't matter!" Draco realised the moment he finished speaking from the look on his father's face that he'd probably have to change his tone of voice pretty quickly.

"Draco, I'm warning you," Severus told him. "Whilst I'm glad you've told me what is bothering you, your attitude and tone of voice need improving right away young man." Draco stifled a sigh and barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. His Father pushes and pushes him to tell him something, and then gets annoyed when he does! He remained silent. "Draco," Severus said again, quietly and Draco, who could not quite place the tone of voice looked at his father. Surprised by how quickly things seemed to overwhelm him Draco bit down on his lip hard.

"Yes Father?" he responded.

"Drake…" Severus now sounded really concerned. "Your lips bleeding." Draco realised that this was true, for as soon as his dad had said that he could feel the slight stinging pain.

"Oh," he said gently and let his father dab at it with the handkerchief he had produced seemingly from out of nowhere.

Draco's tone and manner had changed completely from a few moments ago and Severus did not know what had brought on this change and debated whether or not to let it go. "Draco, even when you're mad and confused I expect you to speak politely and respectfully," he said quietly, "otherwise you'll just make the situation worse."

"Yes Father," Draco murmured, knowing that he had gotten off lightly. There was just something about the way his father had said his name - well, he knew that it wasn't actually his real name - that had made him realise that this man actually cared for him, and that he did owe this man a lot of respect.

Suddenly curious and concerned as to how his twin was, Draco glanced across to where Harry was still talking with Tom. It was strange how it seemed that he and Harry could turn to Tom when they needed to, Draco mused, especially considering the man's past. Not that he was going to complain or anything, Tom was like part of the new family he had inherited. A family which Draco discovered he liked very much, which was surprising considering how not so long ago he was dreading going back to Malfoy manor, yet he had not actually been thrilled to find out that his potions professor was his father and everything had moved so quickly after that, he had not had chance to look back and evaluate everything that had happened, but maybe that was a good thing!


	24. A Thunderstorm

Severus collapsed back on the couch with a sigh. It was late at night, nearly morning even and he finally had a chance to rest, but his mind was too crowded to hope for sleep. Tom had only just left, he was quickly becoming Severus's closest friend, which was strange considering the fact that Severus had used to call him "Master" but he wasn't about to complain. The twins had been sent to bed at their bedtime, despite the fact that they had a guest over and even though Severus could tell that they weren't pleased about this, he was glad to see that they had obeyed him without question. He could only keep them safe if they obeyed him, and it was practically safe to say now that they knew that they would not enjoy the consequences if they did not obey him. And if anyone cared to ask Harry and Draco, they believed that the consequences of disobeying their Father were to be avoided at all costs.

Harry and Draco, at the current moment in time, however, where curled up in bed, fast asleep. And it was several hours later when they began to stir. It was about four o'clock in the morning, or maybe half four when Harry awakened abruptly, wondering what had woken him. His question was answered abut two minutes later when a low rumbling sound echoed around his and Draco's room. He'd always hated thunderstorms, from when he was very little and the noise used to sound horrific in the cupboard under the stairs and if he peeked out of the door he could see the lightening highlight the hallway and even when the door was shut it illuminated the floor under the crack at the bottom of the door. Harry sat up in bed in the darkness and shivered and pulled the bed covers tighter around himself, glancing over at his twins bed, he could see that Draco was still asleep. Harry buried down under the covers again, wincing slightly at the next growl of thunder which did seem unbelievably loud considering that they were down in the dungeons and he told himself to stop being silly, but he couldn't go back to sleep and was it him, or was the thunder getting louder? Harry ducked under the covers and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

Harry didn't know how long it was later, but the thunder had definitely gotten louder and after a particularly loud clap of thunder Harry heard movement from Draco's bed. Harry peeked out from under the covers to sneak a look at his twin, and was it just Harry or did Draco look paler than normal? Draco lay back down on his pillows but Harry noticed that his twin didn't close his eyes. Was Draco as scared as he was? Did twins share fears? It certainly seemed like it in this case… "Draco?" Harry whispered gently.

"Harry?" Draco sounded shocked.

"I hate thunderstorms," Harry said by way of explanation to his twins' unasked question.

"Same here," Draco answered.

"Must be a twin thing," Harry said, eliciting a small grin and a snort of laughter from Draco. Both boys winced again when there was another clap of thunder and Harry slid from his bed, tiptoed across the cold stone floor and slipped into Draco's bed with his twin. Draco then slid his hand into Harry's.

"We're eleven," Draco commented, "you'd think we're too old to be scared by thunderstorms!"

"I know, and we're twelve soon," Harry added. "But everyone's scared of something, I guess."

"I wonder what Dad's scared of," Draco pondered with a mischievous smile.

"Why don't you ask him?" Harry commented innocently, knowing that like him, his twin was still not completely comfortable with this new family situation and that he also wasn't used to having someone he could turn to, to talk about things with.

"No thanks," Draco muttered and both boys winced again when more thundered echoed through their room. "How long can this go on for?" Draco wondered. Harry simply shook his head and clutched Draco's hand tighter. And although he still wasn't comfortable with the idea of having a father who cared, Draco made the decision for both him and his twin. Grabbing his pillow he said, "last one to dad's room is a rotten egg!" and bolted out of the bed and towards the door. Harry grabbed his own pillow and followed his twin and both of them ran to the room where Severus was sleeping.

"We're here," Draco gasped when they got to Severus' room. The door was open slightly and as Harry peeked in he could see their Father was sound asleep.

"Storms must not bother Dad," Harry commented, and Draco nodded. "Makes sense, I guess," he decided. "Dad's not scared of anything." Harry looked at Draco. "You think he'd be mad if we told him we couldn't sleep?" Draco shrugged and they opened the door.

Severus turned over in bed. "Drake?" he said. "Harry? What's wrong?"

"We couldn't sleep Father," Draco admitted.

"Did the storm wake you up?" Severus said. They nodded. "Well it'll pass soon," Severus said. "You can wait here until it's over." He motioned for them to come in and they sat down on his bed, waiting. Harry nodded. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, being scared of a storm," Severus said, drawing his sons into a hug.

Harry shivered as another clap of thunder sounded and Draco looked at him sympathetically. "It'll be over soon, right Dad?"

"I'm sure it will," Severus said.

"It's seems to have gone on for ages so far," Harry muttered, mostly to himself but Draco and his father heard him as well. "You've been awake for a while then?" Severus asked and Harry nodded.

"Harry's been up longer than I have," Draco commented.

"I've always hated storms," Harry admitted quietly.

"Yeah, me too, like you said it must be a twin thing," Draco told him.

"So you two have been talking after going to bed again, then, have you?" Severus asked, sounding distinctly amused.

Harry and Draco giggled. "Yes father," they chorused, knowing that they weren't in trouble.

"Do I even want to know what you were talking about?" Severus asked with a mock sigh and both Harry and Draco laughed, although they shared a long look, should they ask him? "Ok, out with it!" Severus instructed teasingly. "What is it?"

Harry and Draco shared another long look and at the next flash of lightening both boys shivered and Severus tucked his duvet around them both, even though he knew that they were shivering from fear more than cold. "You're not scared of anything, are you dad?" Draco finally asked.

"Oh, Drake," Severus said softy. "Whatever gave you and your brother such a silly notion. Of course I'm scared of things."

"Really?" Harry asked, sounded amazed.

"Of course," Severus told him softly, gently stroking his sons hair back off his forehead.

"Such as?" Draco wanted to know and Harry nodded as well.

Severus leaned back against his pillows and Draco and Harry used one shoulder each as pillows. "Well, my biggest fear would be if something happened to the two of you. I don't want to lose you!"

"You're not going to dad," Draco reassured him and Harry nodded. The storm was starting to fade and Harry could feel his eyes starting to droop, but he didn't want to fall asleep and miss the feeling of being loved in his fathers arms in the middle of the night. He felt safer than he had in a long time, well since ever really, he couldn't remember ever being held in his father's arms…


End file.
